The Pied Piper
by heyshalina
Summary: Ani was normal.Ani was reaped.She was put in front of the whole world as another pawn.She was thrown into the Games.Now she is wondering how she is going to survive with a murderous district partner and brutal careers in the most confusing arena yet! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Alright this is my first Hunger Games FF. I like it, and I hope you do to. I do need tributes for the Games! Please submit! Entry Form on the bottom. R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games or any concept or plot line involved with it, or any of its characters.**

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1.**

I was running. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe because I was running off my feelings. Or it could be I was trying to escape what was to come the next day. Or maybe I was trying to catch the ram that had just blew it's way out of the pen.

So that's why I had my crook in my hand.

"Go, Ani, go!" my friend Giles screamed.

Wow this goat was fast.

I stumbled over grass and glided over rocks, trying to catch the ram before we reached the electric gate surrounding our District. 'Cause if that ram hit that fence it would be charcoal and firefood, not something I could likely sell.

Finally, in the amount of time that it took the ram to leap over a small boulder, I was there, my crook around its neck and a net about its head. It was only then when I realized that I was only about five feet away from being fried.

I stepped back carefully, then slipped the lead around the ram's neck, pulling the net out.

When I walked back into the pens, all my workmates cheered for me as I lead the ram back into its prison.

"Way to go, Ani!" Giles said as he clapped me on the back. "Now all you need to do is survive the reaping!" he laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," I said solemnly.

"What?" he asked. "You only got two tesseraes."

"It's not that," I replied non-convincingly. "I wanted to butcher a couple before the reaping but that stupid ram got me running, and now I have to be home in a half hour."

"Well, I'll help you," Giles said cheerfully.

"Really?" I asked, brows raised. "Well, alright then, but you're not going to like it."

"I think I can handle it," Giles smirked.

* * *

"I can't handle it!" Giles cried as I chopped the neck off a chicken, its gold little feathered body still running around before it slumped down and died.

"I told you!" I shouted, raising my voice above the chickens. "Now hold the black one down!"

Giles stifled barf as I chopped another one, and nearly fainted when I stripped them of their feathers. By the time they were cook-worthy and in a bag to take home, Giles looked right dead on his feet.

"Come on," I said, nudging him. "Time to go home."

"Not with _them_," he spat, disgusted, at the bag.

"Be a man," I laughed. "You're fourteen,"

"I work with animals," Giles replied grimly. "I don't murder them."

"Grow up," was my response.

You see, Giles doesn't know how good he has it. Sure, we both live in the same neighborhood, and we don't have it as bad as the Cleaners in the Sweep, but we still have to break the law and butcher the animals ourselves to get out of paying the extremely high price for meat at the market. At least, I do. I do it all the time, and Giles…that was his first, you can probably tell. His family is chock full of meat and food cause he has three older brothers, and all of them take the tesserae. _And_ they all work in the stables down in the nice end of the District, well, all except for Dume, who works with the cows. Even so, those jobs paid high money, not enough to get you to live in the Reel, but enough to get you along, and even more when you got three brothers taking tesserae so that you don't have to. No, Giles doesn't know how good he has it.

Me? I live alone with my father, who still works with the bulls. It gets us along, too, but being an only child means that I have to take the tesserae and work, too. My job is with the hens, but being fast also comes in handy, so my second, higher-paying job is with the rams.

And so I am scared. Scared for myself, scared for Giles's brothers, because if they were gone, he and his mother would fall into a state of struggling to keep themselves in the financial area of the Hub.

None of us could get reaped.

If I was reaped, I guess my dad would move in with Giles family. They look out for us, and I, I look out for Giles. If Giles got reaped, the most that would happen is that his family would lose his small amount of money, and his life. Because, face it, I thought, he'd never survive. He's too nice. He cried because of the chicken.

"You okay?" he asked me, and I realized that I had been walking in silence, making it awkward.

"Yeah," I answered. "Yeah, just worried about the reaping tomorrow."

"I know," he sighed. "Dume, he has four tesseraes. I can't even think of what would happen if he left."

I could. And it might happen, only because Dume took four tesseraes. Four tesseraes that his family didn't need.

"G'night," I said to Giles as we reached our small little houses right across from each other. I reached the top of the wooden steps, turned to see Giles opening the door, and said his name. He turned around.

"Happy Hunger Games," I smiled weakly.

Giles bowed graciously. "And may the odds be ever in _your_ favor."

And with that we turned and entered the houses.

* * *

I looked at my reflection in my mirror. It was a dirty, cracked little thing, and I couldn't make out much without squinting.

"You're beautiful," my father said, coming up behind me and giving me a hug. I looked up at him. My father was the best looking man I knew, though I did not know almost any other men outside the pens and the market.

I looked down then, to my white, pretty dress that met at my knees and tied with a red bow at my middle. I brushed my fingers through my wavy, auburn-brown hair that ended on my mid-biceps. My father had told me that my eyes were brown and as dark as the midnight sky, but when I looked in my mirror all I saw was mud where my pretty eyes were supposed to be.

My father and I walked to the square together, and he gave me the biggest, longest, and most loving hug he could muster. Then I departed and made my way to the area specifically roped off for fourteen-year-old girls. I smiled, knowing that the rope was probably made of the same hemp that grew next to the manure pile.

After the reading of the previous victors, the speech from the mayor, blah blah blah, and then he introduces a young lady with bright red hair to the stage.

"Hello District Five!" she calls. "My name is Lucy Finelar, and I am here to say Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

As always, this woman is way to cheery for me.

"Alright!" Lucy Finelar cheers, and makes her way to the giant, swirling, glass balls that inhabits thousands of names, some of them my friends, some of them me.

"Ladies first!" She perks, and she dips her hand into the giant ball that holds all of the girls' names. Then her voice rings out.

"Anitalla Razar!"

At first it doesn't register to me, because no one that I know calls me by my full name. But then I realized that it was indeed me, that I was going to play in the Hunger Games, That I was going to die.

As I made my way up to the dreaded stage, I saw Giles running to the front of the crowd. "Ani!" He yelled. I looked him in the eye, feeling his own pain. My own pain. But I knew that he'd be safe. He was only one ticket among thousands. But he would give his own life for me. But he could not volunteer for a girl.

"Welcome to the 37th Hunger Games!" Lucy Finelar told me, and I stood by her as she reached inside the glass ball that marked the fate for one unlucky boy. Lucy pulled out a strip of paper and read the unfortunate name.

"Dustin Salor!"

I knew that name. I _knew_ that name. Yes, I had seen him in school, but I never paid attention to people in school. I knew him from the pens. Yes, Dustin…he worked with the pigs. More specifically, the boars. He worked with the boars because he was short for his age of fifteen, about the size of three and a half boars stacked, so he was about my height. Also, he was strong. He couldn't run, like me, but he didn't use a crook or a lead. He used his arms to pick up the boars. He wasn't ripped or anything, but Hunger Games competitor wise, I was doomed if it came to him and me.

His dirty blond hair that brushed his eyebrows showed among the variety of red, brown and black. He came up and shook hands with me, a grin on his face. I did not smile back.

Lucy Finelar turned to me and asked me in a loud voice if I had any comments before we went of for the Games. I took the microphone, looked straight at Giles, who was standing next to Evan, the pen-keeper, and said, "The pens just lost two Hub workers." Then I handed the microphone back and walked offstage toward the white-stoned Justice Building.

Dustin followed me silently into the building, a grim look on his face. A Peacekeeper frowned at me, but other than that I met no other objections against my comment.

We were separated into two different rooms for the time that I knew only too well. Goodbyes to our loved ones. The room was basically all white and stone, with one desk and chair in the middle. I felt like it was an interagation room, and that they were watching me. I decided that I shouldn't cry, in case they were. Then I thought about my strategy.

My approach to the other tributes…only Dustin knew how fast a runner I was and how tough I was around the boys in the ram pen. But I was only rough because I was the only girl with the rams. In the hen coop, all the girls swooned over the chick's cuteness and cried when a chicken pecked them.

I got out of there as much as I could.

So how was I to appeal? I doubted I could get an alliance, because of my boney and weak appearance. No one would be able to recognize my leg strength. I knew how to use a knife and axe well enough. When I butchered the animals I would practice throwing them against the wall to hit the mark, just for something to be good at. And because of the creeping nightmare that was now my reality. If I looked as if I could never even kill a person in my lifetime, then I would look easy to pick off, and no one would worry about me. But how I acted in the arena could save my life.

I decided to bawl my eyes out.

First my father entered the room. He gave me a big hug, not saying a word. Then he held me out at arms length, tears running down his face. I was letting my pain out my eyes, and I knew that I looked pathetic. Like a small little lamb that just stood up without its mother there to feed it. We spoke little words, but then my dad handed me two objects. The first was a homemade biscuit. The second, a small red wax candle.

"This is fancy," I said, holding the candle. It wasn't longer than my first finger, but it was so magnificent that my eye couldn't leave it. It seemed to have a touch of gold in the middle.

"I want you to keep it. Use it as your token. It will remind you of home." My father kissed my forehead, told me he loved me, and left, his last goodbye to me the best gift I could have ever received from him.

Then Giles ran into the room. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me to and fro.

"You _can't_ die, Ani, I don't care, but you _have_ to beat the rest of them, kill them all, even Dustin, 'cause you can't die!"

I grabbed Giles hands. He looked at me.

"I'm going to be just fine, Giles. And if I don't come back, you're the one who's gonna help out my dad. I'm gonna be fine, no matter what."

Giles embraced me and a tight hug, and even though the whole gender-thing was awkward between us, I had never in my life felt the feeling I had with Giles. He was my best friend, my brother, and I was glad it was me, not him, that was going to their death.

After more tears and hugs, Giles left, and then Evan, the pen-keeper, came in. He handed me a piece of paper folded. He gave me an unexpected hug, and then said one sentence:

"I know a few people in the Capitol. I'll make sure you get sponsors. You'll be all right. I know how fast you run."

And then he left.

It occurred to me now that Evan, who lived in the Reel, Evan, who made enough money to not even think about the next meal, Evan, my highest boss, had paid attention to me.

It felt good to know that.

After I knew my visitors were all gone, I looked at the biscuit my father gave me. It was still warm in my hand, and I took a bite out of it. Delicious.I ate almost all of it, but then realized what I was doing. I stuffed the last precious piece into my sash.

I tried to picture myself as I walked out. Before I exited the room I burst into a believable sob fest, leaving my face red and very wet. I left the room like that, was still crying as the Peacekeepers led me to the train area, where I was to board the train to the Capitol. And there was Dustin, looking strong and controlled, standing at the platform. I could convince him, too. I let more tears stream down my face, and I even let out a few sniffs and whimpers here and there next to him. He almost looked sorry for me.

Then I realized that our mentor wasn't at the reaping. Who was it? Being the 37th Hunger Games, District 5 only had about six victors. One had died from disease, another was too bedsick to mentor. One was a heavy alcoholic, another was pshycotic. That only left two capable to mentor Dustin and me.

"Do you think it's gonna be Rainer or Monica?" Dustin asked me without looking.

I was still letting the tears flow. I was thinking about the both of the previous victors. Rainer McMarky won in the 21st Hunger Games, when he was seventeen. Now, sixteen years later, Rainer was thirty-three and still fit. He would make a good mentor, he won by skill. Then there was Monica. Monica Flannigan won in the 29th Hunger Games when she was fifteen, so she was only twenty-three. She one by wit, outsmarting everyone in the Games.

I was pondering who it was going to be when they walked up behind me.

"Welcome to Hell, piglets," he spoke.

Crap. It was Rainer.

"I…" I stuttered. "I work with rams…and chickens."

"Then I welcome you to Hell as well, chick. Let's get on this blasted train and get out of this bloody District."

Chick?

Dustin and I walked onto the train, and were immediately enchanted with smells and sights and wonders. We were escorted into our rooms for the day ride to the Capitol. Mine was a glorious, welcoming green, with a bed larger than my father's and mine put together, and many, many, pillows. And then there was the bathroom.

I had only taken a shower about five times in my life, all of those times including the freezing cold, pen worker shower and a lot of ram poop. I had bathed in warm water before, but it was nothing compared to this.

This was a walk-in shower, and with a touch of a button I was soaked in hot, heavenly goodness that washed away every trouble that I had in my being. Soap that smelled of sweet strawberries doused my body, and a strange yet wonderful scent washed away dirt from my hair. I came out of the shower feeling better than I had in my whole life.

Then I remembered I was in the Games.

I dressed in a dark blue top and pants, making sure to have my pretty white dress that I wore every year on the bed. I put my candle in my pocket, my bread and Evan's note in another. I still hadn;t read it. I pondered whether I had ought to, but then walked out of the room to greet the people I knew I would hate.

Lucy Finelar was standing next to Rainer, who had his hand on Dustin's shoulder. They were waiting for me. Crap.

We sat down to eat, and I never had a better meal in my life. I tried to eat slowly and almost prevailed…until the main course came. Some kind of roasted bird and venecin with gravy, potatoes and fruit and biscuits and soups! I ate it all.

When we had finished, both Dustin and I looking stuffed, Rainer leaned forward.

"So how are we going to do this?" he asked.

I had no clue. Do what? Training, the Games, our interviews, what?

Seeing the look on our faces Rainer sighed and asked, "How old are you guys?"

"Fifteen, sixteen in a month," Dustin replied.

_If you live that long_, I thought.

"Fourteen," I said.

"Good, good, young, alright. I'm not going to train you until we get to the Capitol, but I want you two to get to know each other. Alright?"

"Right," Dustin and me said at the same time, then we looked at each other. I looked down.

I didn't want to get to know this guy. I would have to kill him, even if indirectly, at some point or another. I stood up abruptly from the table and went into my temporary room, lying down on the bed. It was extremely comfy. I took out my bread, feeling so far away from my dad, from Giles, from my rams. I popped the biscuit in my mouth, and made a wish while it lay on my tongue. Then I swallowed it, savoring its delicious flavor.

It was very late when I was drifting to sleep. I was about to finally close my eyes completely when my door opened, and a figure stepped into my room. At first I didn't acknowledge it, and let my eyelashes brush my bottom lids. But then a hand went over my mouth.

I was awake very quickly. I struggled but the figure's strong hand kept me down. When I tried to scream he whispered, "Shush! I just didn't want to startle you!"

He had startled me.

I let myself calm down, but my eyes were still doe-like while he talked.

"I'm sorry about this. If I could have my way, you wouldn't have been chosen for this. You're strong and fast, but you won't survive. It's such a shame."

I looked at him, a hatred finding its way into my heart. I was angry. Very angry.

"I don't want to kill you, Ani, and I think I won't be able to, so I'm warning you now. Stay out of my way in the Games. Just do, please."

He let his hand release itself from my mouth, and I gasped, even though I could breathe the whole time. He grabbed my head, and kissed my forehead.

"If you weren't here, I would have been happy to come home as a Champion to you, or anyone else, really."

He walked to the door, opened it slightly, and said, "You're very pretty. Don't let me ruin that."

And then Dustin was gone, and I was left very confused.

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******OK so please R&R, and submit a tribute! This is not a first-come first-serve thing though. I will pick your tribute based on the creativity, reality, and variety of him/her. So here are the districts I need:**

******1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12**

******If your tribute is not picked for a minor or major role then they will probably be a bloodbath tribute, please do not feel slighted if they do become one. If the end up not being tributes, but they probably will, they will be some other kind of character. I will not post the list, you'll have to read to find out, but that will be mostly in the next chapter. If I start to feel bored and continue with only a few tributes, please keep sending them in. Thanks!**

******ENTRY FORM (please be descriptive)**

******Name:**

Age:

District:

Appearance:

Personality:

Weapon of Choice:

Other Weapons:

Chariot Outfit (optional):

Interview Outfit(optional):

Interview Quote:

Thank you and R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

**ok here it is...chapter 2. thanks to all who reviewed, and I have a lot of your characters in here! Please keep sending them in, but I need no bloodbath tributes. If they are in the story then they are important characters! Some might even make it to the end! So send more in please, and review! Hope you enjoy it!**

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2.**

I didn't look him in the eye after that. He had it out for me, one way or another. Nice, funny, strong Dustin would do anything to go back to District 5.

We ate breakfast in mostly silence, but Lucy chatted me up a bit about 'how pretty I was' or 'how lucky I was to be in the animal district' blah blah blah. We all knew I was going to be put as a little shepard girl, and Dustin a lamb. The stylists just cared about making a statement, however stupid.

Rainer sat there, picking at his food. He looked troubled. But why shouldn't he be? The Hunger Games, they were evil, and he was just sending two kids to their death.

I knew I couldn't keep my white dress. I would never wear it again. So I cut off the red sash and kept it in my pocket with my candle as we were ushered out the train door into the Capitol.

It was amazing. Buildings that shone in the sun, people in ridiculous outfits, banners everywhere. People cheered and rushed forward to try to touch as we were led along the street into a big building I knew was the Training Center. It was a good thing we had the Peacekeepers…did I just say that?

We were pushed into a small room immediately after entering the brightly colored lobby. Lucy pushed a button, and then the room started moving. Fast. There was glass wear the door should be suddenly, and the ground was moving lower and lower away from me. I yelled and banged on the glass window that was holding me prisoner.

"Ani!" Lucy yelled, and Dustin sighed. Rainer grabbed my shoulders, and I was still yelling, telling them to get me back on the ground…

And then it stopped. Behind us, another door opened. I ripped myself out of Rainer's grip and ran into the area, still feeling the movement of the torture room in my head. I sunk to the ground and felt the solid floor beneath me.

"Never have been in an elevator, eh?" Rainer asked me, laughing. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

It was still a torture room.

I was dumped in a big bedroom with everything I could have ever even hoped for, but was ordered to skip it and take a shower, because the other District tributes were to arrive soon enough. I took as long as I could in my haven, but was ordered out, and dragged back into the torture room with only a robe around me. I was getting over being dizzy from fear by the time I realized I was in a room. And people I did not know were around me, too.

"Hi!" A woman with tan skin and pink hair squealed. "My name is Fareeda! It's a pleasure being a member of your prep team, Anitalla!"

"It's Ani," I mumbled, unsure of what was going on. Then I remembered the drill.

Another woman, a short one with sheet white skin and green hair, introduced herself as Albina, and a tall man with a boyish face as Cesar. Then they got right to their work of exposing my body.

Hair was ripped, and not on my head. Wax was poured, brushes came out, combs, stones, lotions, everything. After they were done I had no hair except on my head, but fortunately they didn't cut any of my hair. I fingered it, and then my face, wondering how they got it so smooth, and how they could be comfortable with me standing stark naked in front of them.

"Bye, Ani!" Cesar said, as they left the room. "Taban will be here in a minute!"

Another guy. Great.

When he entered the room, I was alarmed. Not by his fair skin, not his blond hair, not his fancy yet casual clothes. The only thing that described him as a stylist were his eyes. A brilliant gold, the led me away from everything else, and I tried to look away. He noticed.

"I heard you like being called Ani, right?" he asked me.

"Yes," I replied softly.

"Well, let's get you into a robe, and then you can tell me about your role in your district."

I was going to be a sheep. I knew it.

We settled into chairs, and I started telling Taban about myself.

"What do you work with? In the pens?" He asked after a very long while of hearing about just the district itself.

"Birds. Hens, really, and rams."

"Perfect."

"Perfect?" I asked. "Why?"

"What I designed for you right now, Ani, is something I was thinking about for a while. Are there hawks in your District?" Taban inquired.

"Yes," I answered. "A lot of them. They try to pick up the chicks in the outside pens. Why?"

"Because hawks are free, hawks are noble and brave."

Oh my. I was going to be a bird. A disater.

I was wrong. Taban was amazing. He sewed it in a half hour, and when I stepped into my dress, I was dumbfounded. It reached near my knees, but flowed, and was gold, just like the hawks in our District, just like Taban's eyes. It was strapless, but a golden trail followed around my arms and ended between my fingers. Coming out of the trail and running down the sides of my dress were golden-brown, beautiful feathers. My hair was let loose, it's red-brown color standing out against the gold. In my hair gold down feathers were placed, and a feather necklace placed around my neck. I was ready. I was confident. I was enchanting. I was divine. I was deadly.

And Dustin was just plain scary.

He had big, _ram_-hide boots, cow skin pants, a snake skin belt with two bull horns hanging off it, and a wool sweater with horse mane trails coming off of it over his nude chest. One chicken feather stuck out of his blond shaggy hair, and he carried a staff.

"How many animals were killed in the making of that?" I asked him.

He didn't answer me. He looked hurt, and I knew he didn't like that animals were killed either. Sure, I kill chickens all the time, but that's different. I thank them for their life, thank them for keeping mine go on longer, and wish them safe journeys. This…was ruthless.

Then I remembered to stay out of Dustin's way.

Taban entwined his arm with mine as we walked out into the chariot loading site. He whispered in my ear.

"Forget about Dustin. He is nothing. A staff? That is nothing compared to what you have, Ani. There is a chip in the back of the dress. It lets out a sound, and it is very loud. It is a hawk, Ani. You can outshine everyone else. All you need to do is spread your wings. Let their attention waver toward the other tributes, then bring it back to _you_, not Dustin. I believe in you. Go!" Taban waved me off and gave a thumbs-up sign as he disappeared.

I looked over at the District Four tributes. I remembered the recap of the tributes, but I hadn't paid much attention, with Dustin and his threat on my mind. But the girl was beautiful.

She was around my height, but older, with even tan skin and a slender, curvy structure. Her outfit was also beautiful, and that made me very angry. She was something off a mermaid, A shimmery silver strapless skin-tight dress that ended in an emerald shiny tail. She had a shining emerald necklace, which matched her eyes, and her hip-length, creamy caramel hair waved down, making her look like a sea princess.

I hated it.

Her counterpart was dressed in a silver suit and was holding a trident, and they looked like they were going to get married the way they matched. I didn't pay attention to him, he wasn't dazzling, just a Career, but this girl would have every eye on her.

Apparently she thought so of me, because she looked my way at least four times before striding over. Even District 12 wasn't there yet, so I guess she figured she had time. She stopped.

"I'm Layla." She said, sticking out her hand, I took it cautiously. "Layla O'Shea. District Four. What are…you two supposed to be acting as? I'm a stupid Fish-girl."

Dustin looked at her with hatred of the Careers, and Layla turned to me. "I get it. Career. I'll see you soon, um…"

"Ani," I replied, confidence and intimidation shining in my eyes.

This girl was not a usual Career. I could see it in her eyes. She was acting, and she was very good at it, but her eyes shielded nothing. There was fear. There was a girl who was out of her league, a girl who was intimidated of everyone around her. Of me.

Layla walked away, her head to the ground, her hands playing with each other. I smiled knowing that I had scared her.

"Come on! Come and get me you murderers!" My eyes widened as a short person with short, spikey hair rushed by me, screaming curses at the Capitol and the Hunger Games, tripping over their long pink dress covered in cherries and cherry blossoms….pink dress? What was a boy…oh. This girl had very short chestnut hair. Why would she cut it so short?

She stopped at me, and grabbed my shoulders, her yellow eyes burning into me. "They're trying to kill me, person, help me! They put me in these Games!"

I stood there, shocked, listening to the girl scream. Then a Peacekeeper with a solemn face rushed over and grabbed the girl, his arms hooked under her armpits and over her shoulders. A young woman was next to the Peacekeeper, trying to talk to the girl, who was still yelling. All of the tributes around us started to stare.

"Katya! Katya, calm down, calm down! It's okay, get on the chariot, Katya, Gucci's waiting, come on, come on!"

"Help me!" Kayta screamed. "Murderers! Murderers! Let go of me! Help!" And Kayta was dragged away to her chariot near the back, and thrown on top of it, her partner, whom I could only imagine as Gucci, grabbing hold of her and trying to calm the little insane girl down. How could she scream like that? To accuse the Capitol of rigging the reaping? It's been done before, I knew that. But…well, maybe it was true.

The first chariot started to move, and I scrambled to get on ours. Dustin grabbed my arm and pulled me up forcefully, and as soon as I regained my balance, I slapped him on the face in retaliation, leaving a red mark on his warrior face. He looked at me in shock, then anger, but before he could do anything we were pulled through the gates in front of the whole Capitol, no wait. In front of Panem.

They cheered for me, eying my shimmering golden dress. The feathers in my hair made me look like a shining golden goddess of the sky. Once I even saw Layla look back at me, possibly in envy. Nothing could bring me down right now. No one was looking at Dustin, he basically looked like my shepard guard. Eyes were on me, and I loved it. I looked at the crowd with fierce superiority, just like a hawk would. I thought of everything a hawk would do to her inferiors, how she would look upon them. By the time District Nine had appeared, the eyes were off of me, and I remembered what Taban had told me. As we started the circle of the chariots, I raised my arms, and the wind caught them just like wings.

And then the crowd looked back at me, for a sound so loud, so beautiful, so dangerous, so heart-pounding had issued from my back, although it sounded like that my vocal chords had made the sound. A hawks call from the sky upon her prey, and with my wings spread and flying I was a hawk. These people were my prey.

I let my inner feriecoity come out in my eyes, and I held my chin up the rest of the way on the chariot, letting the beauty of my wings appear once and a while. Once and a while? It only lasted about thirty seconds.

When I hopped off the chariot, I was content that I had captured everyone's attention. Dustin shot me an evil, angry look. He sulked away, and I was happy. As I entered the torture room, I clung onto the railing as tight as I could. There was only three other people in the torture room, and two of them exited on the first two floors. As it climbed again, the other boy spoke.

"I like your dress," he told me, and I turned around from the railing. He was a tall boy, with brown hair. A crooked smirk distracted me from his deep brown eyes. Just like mine. He had to be at least sixteen.

"Thanks," I smiled uncertainly.

"I hate mine," he said, looking down at his own oufit. It was only then that I realized that he was almost all naked, covered with coal dust. He was from District except for his hair was covered in the black stuff, but he had black shorts that glimmered red, like flame shining from coal. It reminded me of Dume's hair, pitch black, and it glinted blue in the sun. I smiled, and he spoke again.

"I can't take it," the boy growled. "This dust is itchy. At least your partner, whatever his name is, got to be some sort of warrior."

I didn't hear the rest of that sentence, because I was still stuck back at the first four words. Four words that I had heard only two days before, back when everything was normal and I had been butchering chickens. With…Giles.

It overcame me, the similarity. The only thing that broke me from grasping him and yelling "Giles!" was the difference in their voices. But it held my mind for a minute.

"You okay?" he asked me. I woke from my emotional state and realized my mouth was agape. I closed it and whispered, "Yeah. Thanks."

"You don't talk much," he said, leaning against the side of the torture room.

"I'm, sorry," I said, still in a bit of shock.

"Hey, it's no problem," the boy laughed. "I have enough people talking to me all the time."

The torture room let out a bell sound, and it opened its doors to the fifth floor.

"I have to go," I let out, and I exited the torture room. I waited to hear the doors close, but they didn't. I looked back and saw that the boy was holding the door.

"What's your name?" he asked me, looking from his deep brown eyes into my own.

"Ani," I replied, wringing my left palm with my right thumb behind my back. "Ani Razar."

"Conrad Kells," the boy said, smiling. "You can call me Squid."

"Squid," I laughed. "What a funny name."

"Well, my hawk lady," Squid grinned. "It was nice to meet you. I like you."

"Likewise," I replied, even though in my heart I knew it was not true. I liked no one here, nice or not. I could not like anyone here, for when the time came, I had to kill them.

Squid left in the torture room, and I walked back to my room. His friendliness confused me-I had outshined him in the chariot appearance, but District 12 never had goof stylists, they were always dumped with the worst. But, he acted similar to Giles, and he is my best friend. But he also acted like Dustin did, and he showed up in my room at night to tell me that I had no chance of surviving the Games.

I slipped into my big, comfy bed, expecting dreams of the Games to come in the next week, or of Giles, or Squid even, but what I dreamt about made no sense to me.

I was in a meadow, a forest on my left and a lake to my right. The forest stretched in front of me, and when I turned around, a cliff dropped far below. And then I realized I was standing on top of metal. I looked down now, and realized that I was on top of the Cornucopia. But…my Games hadn't started yet! I would be killed for sure!

But then I saw that around the Cornucopia, around me, were twenty-four ready killers, all on their metal circles, waiting for the gong to go off. I looked around at them…a big beast of a boy that looked murderous, a slightly less beastly boy, a small little girl, an attractive blond, a cute blond boy…he was looking straight at another girl, this one with olive skin and brown hair, a pin on her jacket. It glinted gold, and I saw that it was a mockingjay.

The gong went off, and my attention immediately switched to a strong girl with dark hair that picked up a pack of sharp throwing knives. She threw them everywhere, wherever people where, with surprising accuracy. She lodged them in a boy's chest, a girl's neck, another boy's gut. She stabbed a knife through a boy's back, and he ran still, trying to pick up an orange backpack, but Mockingjay girl scooped it up, an irrated, scared look on her face. The boy with a knife in his back coughed blood all over the girl, then fell down and died. Mockingjay girl ran, and the knife girl started laughing at her success. She whizzed one at the girl's head, but she raised her pack and the knife lodged inside it. The beast boy, the knife girl's partner, was killing kids left and right with a deadly sword. Was this how my Games were to be?

But a flash of red brought my gaze to a teen girl hiding in the bushes. She must have ran once the gong rang. She looked like…a fox, with her red hair. They came and tried to pick off some chicks from time to time, in the pens. She had no supplies, no weapons…wait, she seemed to have a knife with her.

Suddenly I woke up back in Hell and lied in bed, gasping. Is that what my Games were to be like? I had seen the Games, each year of my life, but never I had been so close, smelled the blood. Those two killers were obviously Careers. I decided to keep an eye on my own Careers. And that Mockingjay girl…she seemed underfed, which meant she was from the lower districts like 10,11, and 12. No one would have expected her skill, just like no one would blink an eye at…Squid. I reminded myself to keep an eye on him, too. And then there was Dustin, and everyone else…I had to find someone to make an alliance with, possibly. If I did, after the Careers were gone I would kill them. I hoped.

I stumbled out of bed and went into the shower, savoring every minute of it before I had to go out and meet Mr. Creeper Who Snuck Into My Room again.

Figuring I would be dealing with weapons in the Training, I slipped on a red shirt, with a black jacket and tight fitting dark blue pants made out of a rough but comfortable material. Lucy later told me that they were called something like…genes. But weren't genes like, what transferred from parents to children to give them their appearance and stuff? Heck I don't know, all I knew was that we didn't have this material in District 5.

When we entered the torture room, Lucy followed us, and I wished she didn't. If she didn't I would have punched Dustin in the jaw just when we would have began to get out.

Then we entered the training room. I was bombarded with all the possible things to learn. All the weapons, all the skills! I couldn't go to all of them!

I decided to skip knot-tying, plant identification and animals, for I knew all that stuff. I figured to do weapons today, and then do the camoflauge and other things tomorrow and the other days.

Dustin was working on ropes, and I wondered why he didn't do any weapons. Maybe Rainer had told him not to. I found it odd and slightly depressing to realize that Rainer had been coaching Dustin and not me. Monica was supposed to me my mentor, but if something had happened, only Rainer would be available. Apparantly something had happened, but Rainer was not coaching me.

I went to the throwing knives area, where the girl I thought I recognized from District 1 was trying it, as well from Layla from District 4 and her partner. Layla was decent, but the District 1 girl hadn't held a knife in her life, unless she was cutting her filet mignon. Come on, she was like seventeen! Layla's partner was experimenting with the knives when I got pissed and picked one up, throwing it with a flick of my wrist and it lodged in the head of the practice man board.

All of them gaped at me, and instead of seeming flattered like I should have for the Careers, I just threw three more, the last one sticking in the butt of my first. Then I just walked away.

I tried experimenting with bow and arrow, and it was fairly easy. I wasn't good enough for me to shoot seven birds in midair in a couple of seconds, but I thought it was good enough to be able to kill someone with it. Swords? Not my cup of tea, but I went over to try it anyway.

They made us fence, not use real swords, when we fake-fought. If we were mutilating a dummy, then we could have sharp pointy objects, though. I put on a mask and pads, grabbed a fencing sword, and stepped into the small arena.

I could not see the face of my adversary, but I could tell that it was a girl. She was very short, though, so I wondered if it was a twelve or thirteen year old, but that could depend on District. She was at least three or four inches shorter than me. I was a beginner, but I thought I could win by my strength.

I, as usual, was wrong.

This girl was amazing. I was using all of my energy to just deflect her blows. After five minutes of me backing up, I thrust my sword at her chest. But she dodged my sword and jammed her elbow into my chest pads. I was flung to the ground, and by the time I opened my eyes, her sword was to my face, and the referee was shouting, "You are dead! You have lost the Hunger Games!"

So I had.

I saw my opponent's legs, and realized that on was shorter than the other. She was crippled, but she was the best sword fighter I had ever seen. She held out her hand to me, and I took it, jumping back up.

"I lose," I said, and I heard her laugh beneath her mask. She flung it off, revealing long blond hair underneath.

"You're very good," I complimented her.

"So are you," she replied. "How long have you trained in sword?"

"First time," I confessed. Who trained, other than Careers?

"What District are you from?" I asked her.

"Two," the girl answered, a little caught back. God, a Career! I had fought a Career, and she had complimented me!

"Five," I choked.

"Wow," the Career said. "You're very good for a Five, uh…"

"Ani," I told her.

"Ani," she said back. "I'm Paloma. Paloma Dirnt."

"Nice to meet you," I responded.

"I saw you throw knives over there," Paloma told me. "I think the other Careers will like you."

Joy flooded through me. An alliance? With the Careers? It wouldn't last, I knew, but I could escape the bloodbath, at least, and possibly make it to the top ten!

But as Paloma and I talked, and she led me away to the other weapons where the Careers were, I saw Dustin scowling at me from the knot-tying station. His eyes were full of hate.

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**Personally I really hate Dustin's character. What do you think? I would like to give a special thanks to:**

**thehappypursuit-182**

**dracocrazy322**

**ravenswrath**

**CloudyNK**

**TheOnlyException1234**

**Thanks so much and sorry it took so long! Things will start to get more interesting once the Games come up, so keep R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

ok. I want to thank all of those who reviewed, all can be seen below. please R&R and enjoy!

**Note: I am not taking in any more tributes. Thanks so much for your characters. If you don't see them soon they will definitely be mentioned in the Games.**

**Other Note: Personally I think this is a bit far-fetched, but still, I needed a way to be able to fill this time and get back at Dustin.**

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3.**

The next day Dustin and I were allowed in the torture room down by ourselves, which I was grateful for. I clenched my fist and positioned my feet to run after I punched him. As the room slowed to a stop, I was about to throw my arm when he said two words.

"I'm sorry," he told me.

My arm dropped behind my back. "What?"

"Just, come with me," Dustin said. He looked thoughtful. "Please."

Knowing this would probably a waste of my time and energy, I went anyway, for we were at the Training floor early.

"Where are we going?" I asked, annoyed. Pamola was going to show me how well she could do one on one combat, even with her crippled leg, against the District 1 boy.

"I just don't want anyone to hear us," Dustin replied. He turned several corners, went down long hallways, and I was sure that we weren't near the Training Room anymore. Why had I been as stupid as to follow him?

"I'm going back, this is dumb," I spat, and I turned around. Dustin grabbed my shoulder, but it was gentle, and he spun me around again.

"Just wait, please." He mumbled, and walked down a few more hallways. I sighed, knowing I was going to regret this, and followed.

"In here," Dustin whispered. "No one will hear us in here, I know." He opened the door and let me go through.

I looked at the lightened room, and knew I had fallen for something. Dustin was an evil boy, I knew that! Why would I let him lead me into a…a small room, so small I could hardly move?

I started to turn around. "Dustin, I don't think-"

I was cut off by a blow to my head, and before I knew it I was on the ground, the small room spinning around me. I couldn't see, and I thought I couldn't feel, either. My limbs were moving, but it was not voluntary.

Dustin stepped back, looking at my constricted body. "I'm sorry, like I said, but you're too good. I can't let you learn so much, or be friends with the Careers! You're ruining my chances of wining these Games! I can't let that happen!"

He slapped something on my face, and then slammed the door to the small room, locking it from the outside.

After he left I was left in the darkness, my head still spinning and my ears still ringing. I knew it. He wasn't sorry, he was ruthless. A ruthless boy that apparently had something he had to go back to, and was willing to hurt people even before the Games. What if no one found me? _No_, I thought, it wouldn't matter, I would be able to get out. I tried to assess how restricted I was.

Both my feet were tied tightly by the ankles with a hard, sharp rope. Both my legs were together bound by the same type of rope at the thighs. My biceps were tied by one long rope around, binding them to the sides of my chest, while my wrists were bent at a very uncomfortable position behind my back, and tied to my ankles, so I was left on my stomach, unable to move my fingers or wrists.

Dustin had spent a long time at the knot-tying station yesterday.

I could not see a thing, for some sort of material was covering my eyes, making my vision pitch black. Whatever Dustin had put on my mouth, it made me unable to speak or scream for help. I cursed Dustin in my mind over and over. I knew now that I would have no problem killing this guy.

I positioned myself at my most comfortable area, and bent my forehead to the floor. I slid it across the flooring, and the material came off of my eyes, willing me to see, whatever I could, in the blackness of the room.

I scooted to the shelves in the small room, feeling around with my back. I finally found a sharp point, and cut the bindings on everything except my hands, for that binding seemed to not be made of rope, but something harder. I stood up and turned around, trying to turn the door with my hands, but it was set securely. It took me about ten more minutes to find the vent.

They only had vents in the Justice Building in District 5, but I knew how they worked. I smiled but made no sound, for I could still not remove the stuff over my mouth.

I pried the vent door open with my feet and a large metal rod I found. Then I squeezed into the vent, happy that I was small enough.

After a while of crawling along the pathways, I looked down a vent opening. There, below me, were the Gamemakers! All dressed in purple robes, they looked over in concentration at the tributes in the Training Room. I got so angry. They could have been watching me! Stupid, evil, Dustin!

I crawled along a bit more and found myself very, very high in the air above the tributes. I knew the ceiling was high, but now I was _up_ there. I looked up at the ceiling of my vent, and then down again.

Pamola was talking to Dustin! She looked serious, said a few words, and then walked away toward the fencing area again. Then I saw another figure walking toward Dustin. It was…Squid, that guy from District 12.

Squid seemed to be demanding something out of Dustin. Dustin shrugged, and tried to walk away, but Squid pushed him, and Dustin got angry. He yelled something at Squid, and then stalked away toward Plant Identification. I was too high to hear what they said.

I went a while longer in the vents, and was content when I found a vent opening over a hallway. I kicked it down, and then dropped into the hallway. I automatically knew that I was only a couple of rooms away from the Training Room, and I ran into a bathroom, trying to escape sight. I crouched down and slipped my legs through my arms, making it so I could see my wrists in front of me. I twisted my wrists a lot, something I was not able to do before, and the restrictions fell off. I then ripped the material I had on my mouth off, and ran my mouth under water.

"Having trouble?" someone asked behind me. I turned around sharply, and saw a grown woman standing there. I was about to ask who she was when I knew.

"Monica?" I asked. "Where? Where have you been? You're supposed to be my mentor!"

"I know," she replied. "I had something to do the past few days, but I'm here now, and let's start by you telling me why you weren't in the Training Room the last two hours?"

I told Monica all about how Dustin had trapped me, so consumed in his desire to win that he would subdue me temporarily so I could not learn anymore than I knew already. All the while I talked, I looked at Monica's tall stature, her long yet muscular limbs, and most of all, her blazing red hair that reminded me of the girl from my dream the other night.

"It's not unheard of," Monica told me. "It does happen. Dustin isn't the first one to do this sort of thing. There are at least two other people missing today, and I won't be surprised if more of the tributes 'fall ill' during the week."

"Oh," was all that I could say.

Instead of going back into the Training, Monica brought me upstairs to our floor. We talked and talked for hours, me telling her about everything that had happened, about Dutin, about the Careers, Squid, everyone that I had met. Then, after I had finished, Monica handed me a small device that fit in my hand. She smiled.

"I think we should toy with Dustin," She laughed. "Do you want to get back at him?"

I smiled too. "Other than killing him, you mean?" I said seriously.

Monica flinched slightly. "Yeah," she replied. "I want you to go missing."

"Missing? I asked.

"Yes. At least, to Dustin. I asked Rainer what Dustin was going to be doing. Apparantely he, just now, is going to be doing weapons. Since you've done this already, switch and go to intelligence for tomorrow. You'll wear something so no one will be sure its you at first glance, but the Gamemakers will know."

"How?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," Monica confessed. "But I know that they just do. So you'll go and learn secretly. Just for tomorrow. And then the day after, you'll appear again, but in the arms of the Careers."

I grinned widely. I'd be learning more than Dustin, with everyone on his plate about me, and I would beat him down with the Careers. It wasn't enough, though. I would never be able to forgive Dustin, not until he felt the fear. But there was one problem.

"What if he comes to check on me? In the closet, I mean." I asked.

"You'll go down there at meal times," Monica had a grim look on her face now. "Figure out something. After that, you'll have three more days to learn, and I'll start coaching you for your interview, miss Hawk Lady."

I was happy. This would be easy. I didn't really see the value of waiting, other than making my dillusional partner even more insane, but Monica must have her reasons. As dinner was soon, Monica told me to go down to the closet again. After Dustin left I'd go up and into my room to eat. The device she gave me, she told me, was so she could tell me when to come up or if to stay. I went down the elevator and rushed down the halls to the closet where I had been, poorly in my opinion, kept. It was locked. Of course.

I found the key very easily, on top of the doorframe, cause Dustin was an idiot and probably needed a copy for himself. I locked it after opening, and slipped in again. I looked around. I had cut all but two of my restraints, and this posed a problem. So I tipped the shelf, sending all the junk, mostly heavy boxes. I moved them, and then crashed the junk on top of me, making it look like the shelf collapsed on top of me while I struggled around. I tied a rope around my biceps like Dustin had, then emptied a big box with difficulty, slipping it over my head and neck. Then I clicked in the restraints for my hands I had found and positioned myself like I had been tied. It was quite a process.

When I heard Dustin I had realized that I didn't have my eye or mouth coverings. I unclipped my hands and slapped my mouthpiece on quickly, but I couldn't find my eye coverings. I looked around frantically, holding my box in my hand, when I heard the thud.

"Where the hell is she?" I heard a voice. "Answer me, 5!"

"I have no idea what your talking about," Dustin answered the voice calmly.

"You know!" The voice spat. "Where is she? Tell me now!"

I realized who it was. Squid had followed Dustin.

"Man, my mentor told me to meet him just over there," Dustin replied, annoyed. "He told me that Ani threw up last night, but she's gonna be better soon."

"Yeah right!" Squid hissed.

"You don't want to do this, 12," Dustin said. "I don't want to call my mentor."

I heard another thud on the wall. "Fine," Squid said. "I'll go. But I'm watching you, 5. If Ani's not back in the Training tomorrow, you'll be dead before that gong goes off."

I had been frozen while they spoke, but now I grabbed the cloth I thought was a eye cover and slipped it on my head above my eyes, so it looked like I had tried to get it off. Then I put the box back on and clicked the hand restraints in place just as Dustin creaked the door open.

I started trying to make noise through the mouthpiece, but all that came out sounded like "Mmmpfmmhmm".

Dustin ripped off the box from my head and looked down at me pitifully. He then ripped the mouthpiece off my lips, and it _hurt_.

"Help!" I screamed. "Help me!" Dustin hit me on the head and covered my mouth with his hand now.

"Shut up," he warned me. "I will hurt you, I will!"

I nodded.

He took his hand off my mouth. I didn't make a sound. Then he stuffed a slice of bread in my mouth, then covered my mouth again, and pulled the eye cover over my eyes again.

"Enjoy," Dustin said and then slammed the door.

I sat there for awhile, but when Monica sent me the signal, I stripped off all my fake restraints and opened the door with the key. I spit out the disgusting bread into the closet. I made my way upstairs and into my room, and slumped down onto my bed, ordering the biggest, most gormet meal I could. When it arrived I savored the delicious food as it went down my throat.

The next morning was easier. Turned out Dustin didn't think breakfast was very important, so I needn't have worried about him to come visit. I wore the same kind of 'gene' material into the Training Area, with a jacket that has a hood. To anyone who looked, I could be a District 8 tribute for all they knew. For the first two hours I went around and learned everything I thought I needed to know. Then I decided to speed my running up even more, so I went and ran on a machine with the engraved sign, 'TREADMILL'. I ran on that machine for a long time, only tiring after an hour or so of running. That's when I caught a flash of silver.

A tall girl was just sitting on a stool on the edge of the room, fingering a silver arrow with a super-sharp tip in her hands. Her hair was pale blond, but it only took my eyes half a second to realize that the tips looked like they were dipped in flaming blood. I hopped off my machine and walked over to the girl. I sat down on another stool next to her.

"Why aren't you training?" I asked her.

"Don't have to," she growled.

"Uh, why not?" I asked again. "Aren't you worried about the Games?"

"No," she replied. "I know everything I need to know."

I chuckled cold-heartedly. "I doubt that."

"You weren't here yesterday," she said.

I was caught off guard. "How did you know that?" _Crap. I admitted it._

"I just know, 5," she smirked. "I also know your partner is a total idiot."

"You got that right," I mumbled.

"Get him back," the girl told me. "He's fencing. I saw you the other day. Take him down."

I stood up, looking at two figures fight, knowing one was Dustin. "Thanks." I said, and started walking toward the fencing area. I turned around sharply after a few steps.

"Your name," I demanded.

"Harper," she responded coldly, looking at the ground.

"Ani," I turned around and slipped on equipment for my plan. Then I walked into the ring just as Dustin knocked his opponent to the ground.

"Are you ready?" The referee asked. I nodded, and Dustin let out a low grunt. "Go!"

Immediately I sprung into action, using my new skill to push Dustin back toward the edge of the ring. I kept pushing him and pushing him until he got so weak that I elbowed him to the ground hard, ripping off his mask and pressing the tip of the saber into his cheek. I heard the referee yelling at me but I paid no mind, pulling off my own mask, showing Dustin my face. I saw his shock, and I gripped his shirt collar in my fist, pulling his scared face up to mine.

"How?" he rasped.

"You can't beat me," I hissed. "Don't you dare fight me again, cause next time, I will kill you."

I threw my evil partner to the ground, and walked away from his bloody face, barely noticing Harper's arrow lodged in the concrete wall.

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**Soo a filler, but I liked the ending. I hope it wasn't too fast or cliché. Please R&R and I'll try to get the Games started soon!**

**dancegurl-i am using both of your tributes, but both of them come a bit later. Vivie is in a different district, though, and I hope you do not mind.**

**thehappypursuit-182-im happy you like it. And you are right. Let the Games Begin! Pamola is going to have a major part in this, too.**

**BubblesInBlue-I changed Harper a bit to fit my storyline, but I like her character.**

**dracocrazy322-congrats. i picked Squid to be a main character.**

**R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I loved Mockingjay, but thought it was SO sad. Utter sadness in the ending, mostly. But I won't ruin it for those who haven't read it yet. Anyway, here's the new chapter! So Read and Review and Enjoy! R&R&E! Yeah. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Hunger Games or any of the other books in the series, concepts, characters, or anything relating to anything Suzanne Collins owns. I do not own the rights or ideas or title of The Pied Piper, a Middle Age fairy tale. Please do not sue me. :P**

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4.**

"_No_, Ani, start with your _right_ foot first!" Monica sighed.

I hated life. All I wanted to do was to get out of the high heels that made me as tall as Dustin and run outside barefoot without getting mobbed by Peacekeepers. Which, of course, would happen. Then I'd be stuck here again. Did I mention I hated my life? Well, it was going to end in the next weeks anyway. So I put up with it.

"Right," I whispered. "_Right_!"

Then I stepped with my _right_ foot, waved with my _right _hand, and sat down in the replacement yet extremely comfortale chair that was the replica for the chair I would be sitting in for the interviews. Then Dustin walked in confidently and sat beside me. We didn't glance at each other. Not even once. I knew that the cut I gave him was still there on his cheek, even if I wasn't sure why they didn't remove it…or remove me. But I just acted as if he were the wind, and then when Monica gave me the signal, I stood and walked to the other chair that was waiting next to the two mentors, so they could ask me pretend questions so I wouldn't look like a fool. These questions were just general, because we all knew that only Monica would know which angle I was taking tonight, other than me, of course.

They laid it all on me.

"Where do you live in District 5?"

"What do you do?"

"Who are your parents?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

"How are you going to play the Games?"

"Are you worried about any of the competitors?"

"How well do you adapt to your surroundings?"

"Is there anyone you have become close to here in the Capitol?"

"Do you have any special friends back home?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

That question bothered me. A boyfriend? Sure, I had friends that were boys, but a boyfriend? That was something totally different.

"It's…it's complicated," I answered. This was bad. This was not a straight-forward answer. Tangled answers were vague and confusing. And confusing was bad.

For the first time in days Dustin stared right at me with those evil eyes, and Monica wore a tight, puzzled frown on her face.

"What do you mean?" She asked me.

"He's my best friend," I muttered. Oh crap. Muttering was even worse.

"His name?" Rainer asked me. Why was Rainer talking? Shut up, Rainer! Dustin! Stop staring at me with those daggers you call eyes! Monica, stop frowning like it's a sin to have a complicated relationship! Everyone shut up! I wanted to shout. I wanted to scream, even though no one was speaking. I wanted to run from that room, tear off my heels and run, run faster than the Peacekeepers could. I wanted to tear up the room and throw it all out the window.

Instead I burst into tears.

Everyone seemed surprised, but Dustin looked downright astonished. He hadn't seen me cry before, other than that one time. That time when I was ten and I snuck away on a dare from the hen house to give Kendal Morrison a hug in the boar pen and a boar ended up flinging me to the ground with my work dress caught on the boar's tusk. I didn't know Dustin that well. But, Kendal Morrison was _hot_. He was the whole reason I did the stupid stunt, but the year after that his dad got a nice job and they moved to the Reel, and Kendal didn't need to work anymore. So anyway it was a surprise for him to see me cry.

Monica pulled me onto my feet and took me into my room, where I continued to sob. I kept whispering his name, Giles, cause I missed him so damn much.

"Come on, Ani," Monica tried to console. "You angle is smart and pretty. The smart, pretty, confident girl that you are. You will live to see him again, I promise."

"You can't promise that," I whimpered. "It's not true. It will never be true. I'll never see Giles again. Or my dad, or even Evan."

Evan. He came to visit me after the reaping and gave me something. What did he give me? Oh, I lost the sheet of paper! I'd never know what was on it now! I sobbed even more. I had lost it! I was just happy that the person that cleaned my room hadn't cleared out my candle that my father gave me.

And then I had a sudden longing. I couldn't get my friends, nor family. But I could get someone who reminded me of them.

"Squid," I whispered. I had to see him. But I would have to wait until tonight, when the interviews were. It struck me that he would be last of the twenty-four interviews. Wow. Hard act to end with.

After a while Monica left and who other to replace her but my annoying prep team. Fareeda was her usual bubbly self, making comments on my pretty hair or tanned skin or whatever while Albina giggled and Cesar let out a hearty laugh.

"You are _so_ going to win, Ani," Albina bounced her green hair.

"Yeah, you're so smart," Cesar followed up.

"And clever!" Albina beamed, and she and Cesar laughed together. Fareeda said nothing.

"What, Fareeda?" Cesar asked. "Do you not think Ani will win?"

"I think she has a possibility," Fareeda chirped.

"But certainly she will!" Albina smiled again, looking at me. I smiled back awkwardly.

"I'm just saying that there is a lot of competition, and Ani might not win if she isn't careful enough." Fareeda replied.

"Fareeda!" Albina exclaimed, and Cesar let out a shocked gasp.

"Come outside with me, Fareeda," Cesar said stiffly. "It's stuffy in here. Not good for the lungs."

Cesar led Fareeda out of the room, but before the door closed she gave me a look. Her look told me that she really didn't think I had a chance to win in these Games, no matter what the others said.

Was it possible? Was it really possible to have a Capitol citizen that wasn't all happy-go-lucky for the Hunger Games, someone who actually doubted and disliked? It was unheard of. The prep team was supposed to be bubbly and motivational, not dreary and prophetic. I frowned. I was getting very confused. People in my District were so straight-forward, so open-minded…

Dustin proved to be an exception, though.

Albina spun me around in my chair and smiled one of those smiles again, her white skin looking even whiter from being nervous. "Don't worry about Fareeda," she told me. "She probably just didn't have enough to eat this morning."

Somehow I doubted that.

"Let me do your makeup," Albina pepped up again, and set off to work on my face. "You're going to look so beautiful," she mused. "Every boy's eye in the Capitol will be on you!"

Somehow I doubted that, too.

Finally Taban entered the room with my dress, and told Albina she could leave. I was relived. I was tired of hearing stories about the party she went to the other night and how she spilled coffee on this lady after she finished the _best_ fois gras she had ever had. It made me sick to think of the geese.

"Here you are, My Highness," Taban grinned, presenting me with my dress. He had not allowed me to look at it as I put it on. He had even gone to the extent of blindfolding me with his bandana. But in front of my full-length mirror I was happy. No, I was overjoyed. My dress was made of fine silk the color of baby blue, a color of clothing my father said could only be found in District 8, 1, 2, or the Capitol. I felt like I was famous wearing it. It was strapless again, but it gripped my chest and fell loose at my waist all the way down to my knees. I stepped into silver shoes with a two-inch heel and smiled as Taban placed a silver flower in my hair that looked like a lily. I hugged him, but I don't know why. Just as fast I pulled back, running my hand through my hair.

I walked outside with Taban to see Monica and Rainer in fine suits and dresses, Lucy Finelar, with a blazing red gown on to match her hair, and Dustin with his stylist Biarii. He was wearing a suit of a slightly darker blue with dark shoes and tie. Biarii was wearing a simple green dress with golden trimming. I wondered why my own stylist was only wearing a black colored shirt that was a quarter unbuttoned and dark 'genes'. But I had no time for that. I stepped into the torture room, which I now figured as a torture machine, and we sailed down to the interview room in silence.

As I got ready to go line up, Taban stepped over to me. "Forgot something!" He said hastefully and sprinkled silver feathers into my auburn hair.

Oh yeah. Hawk Girl. Forgot about that.

I stepped into my line and waited as Dustin continued to talk with Rainer for the longest time. The boy behind me startled me when he spoke.

"My partner is in the restroom, no doubt fixing her hair again," he chuckled. I turned around to see a short kid with black spikey hair. His eyes seemed clouded, but it must have been the light.

"My partner is talking with his mentor," I replied. "What's your name?"

"Cecil Yung, District 6," He told me. "What about you?"

"Ani Razar, District 5," I answered. "Are you nervous?"

"Not much," Cecil smirked. "I think I can handle this crowd."

I giggled. Cecil smiled too, happy that he had made someone laugh. "I didn't learn much in the Training, though, so I'll have to lie if he asks a question that relates to that."

"Why didn't you learn anything?" I asked. It was weird, Cecil talked without making eye contact, like he didn't want to see my eyes.

"I…" Cecil stuttered. "I don't learn quite as fast as others."

I frowned slightly, hoping he didn't see. That wasn't much of a problem. "Well, that's okay," I encouraged. "I'm sure no questions will be like that. It's supposed to be secret, you know, except for the numbers we scored." I remembered my eight I received, and Dustin's seven. What did Cecil get? All I remembered from the other Districts were Pamola's eight, Squid's six, and Harper's scary ten.

"Right," Cecil seemed a little happier. I couldn't blame the kid for wanting to learn faster. And, he was only like thirteen, so he couldn't have learned that much. District six? Wasn't that, like science? So I guess being so young was a disadvantage for learning about weapons? I had no idea.

"Everybody get ready!" The stage manager told us. I started hyperventilating. What if I wasn't good enough? What if I messed up? What if Evan didn't get me any sponsors? Dustin jumped in line behind me, and I saw a girl with curly dirty blond hair come in front of Cecil. She looked pretty. Or maybe it was just my nervous eyes that made everything seem better than I was. I fluffed my wavy hair, touching a few of the soft silver feathers.

"Can you help me?" he whispered to her, and she grasped his hand as he held the other out in front of him. She walked him like a Kindergartener on a line.

The sudden realization hit me just as I started walking out the door.

Cecil was blind.

"Now, Aoewyn, you're very pretty, aren't you?"

"Oh! Really? Thank you so much, Caesar!" the girl from District 1, Aoweyn, I guessed, giggled. This was the seventeen year old that didn't know how to hold a knife. But I had other things on my mind.

Cecil was blind. Pamola was slightly crippled. That girl, Kayta, was insane. Was there something wrong with all of us? Something that only the outsiders could see? Dustin was delusional. Harper was…I didn't know what she was, she was just something. But I didn't see anything wrong with Squid, or the District 1 boy. But, was there something wrong with me? Did the Gamemakers see it that way? I thought back to the day before, when I had preformed for the people who were going to kill me.

Dustin would be going before me, so I took my seat next to…Cecil, I now knew. I hadn't paid attention, really, to my surroundings. Pamola said a few words to me, but I couldn't remember half of them if I tried, I was so nervous. Layla puked once, I think. Squid would stare off at different spaces on the wall like they were people plotting against him. All the while what I was to do wracked my brain. Run, of course. Show them my speed. And my knife throwing, yes, definitely that. Maybe my bow and arrow? But there were many people who could do that better than me. Ugh! What about fencing? No, there were no people to fence. Knot-tying? Yeah right.

And showing them I knew my plants and animals wasn't going to help me in the slightest. What the hell was I going to-"

I swore as Squid grasped my wrist, pulling me out of my thoughtful gaze. "I need to talk," he whispered urgently. "With you. Now."

"No, Squid." I hissed. "I'm thinking."

"It's important!"

"Oh well."

"Ani!"

"Go away!"

"Fine!" Squid burrowed his eyebrows in frustration, stalking away from me back to the end of the line with his District counterpart. This was the first time I saw Alyssia Night. She had dark hair and olive skin to contrast against her gray eyes. She couldn't have been more than sixteen years old. Her look was sharp enough to kill, and she turned to look my way…

"District 5 _girl_! One last time!" the man at the door yelled at me. I stood up abruptly, realizing that everyone before me was gone. Crap. Squid had distracted me! What was I going to do now?

I stepped into the huge Training Area, and looked up at the Gamemakers on the balcony. They were all looking straight at me.

"District 5 girl?" An olden man asked. I nodded quickly. "You may begin," the man told me.

Fast as a bullet I ran from the spot where I stood, picking up five throwing knives. I jumped atop the 'treadmills', jumping from machine to machine. Then I jumped on the weight lifting equipment, reaching higher and higher heights as I jumped. All of the people in the purple robes were watching me. I picked up a knife, still running, and threw it at the board, a quarter of the room away. To my amazement it lodged in the board's head. Smiling, I took a dive off of the highest machine and shoulder-rolled onto the ground. My shoulder hurt to hell, but hey, I was doing well so far. I flung all of my knives in different directions, each hitting their mark. I was excited. I ran to the climbing wall, using my legs to push me up, my hands just keeping me in place. By the time I reached the top, I was as high as the Gamemakers. I don't know what I was thinking, but I looked at the ground, saw the fall mat, and jumped.

I saw all the Gamemaker's eyes widen as I fell, rolling myself up into a spinning ball. It was short lived, though, for I crashed into the fluffy mat, and stood up unhurt in a matter of seconds. The elderly guy that addressed me looked like he near had a heart attack watching me.

"You can go now, thank you." He told me, and I smiled. I bolted from the room, happy that I had fallen only about twenty feet. That wasn't that much when you had a five foot thick mat below you. So why did they widen their eyes? Why did they seem scared?

"Layla O'Shea?" The man, Caesar Flickerman asked. He was not even thirty yet, and this was only his second year as the interviewer man. But then I realized I was only two people away. Six minutes away. I had missed Pamola, too.

"So, Layla," Caesar addressed her. "What is it like back home in District 4? Do you miss your family?"

"Of course," Layla said quietly. "I miss them all so much. Most of all I wish I could go swimming with my best friend Brianca again. I hope I will be able to."

"That's the spirit, Layla," Caesar smiled widely. "Do you hope that the Games will be easy? Do you intend on making any alliances to get you through?"

"No," Layla said curtly. "Caesar, alliances lead to attachment. Attachment leads to second thoughts. Second thoughts lead to death. These Games are like the sharks back home. You can't come under them, for that's their turf. You can't come above them, because they are fast. You can't come behind them, because every end of them is dangerous. You can't come from the sides, because that is where their eyes are. The only way to win this game is to face the shark head-on. And these games, like a shark, has weak spots. Keep the blood flowing, the shark leaves you alone. Hit its nose or its gills, and you win. I aim to keep the blood flowing and to hit these games in its weak spot to get out. I'm here to win and that's what I intend to do."

"Wise words, Layla," Caesar smiled again, and a little bell sounded. "Thank you, and good luck."

"Thank you," Layla grinned, and moved back to her seat once more.

That was a lot of information to lay on my already over-stressed out brain. Layla was much more aggressive than I gave her credit for. And she was a Career. I had never really gotten around to the 'in the arms of the Careers' part of Monica's plan, so the only possible alliance I held would be with Pamola. And yet I still didn't know what the arena was to be like. God, I didn't know anything!

Three minutes goes by way to fast, because before I knew it Caesar was saying, "Thank you, Pablo. Good luck. Anitalla Razar?"

My brain froze, but my body slowly walked up to the big chair where Caesar would sit opposite. I started with my right foot, waved with my right hand, and knew I was waving right at my dad. Right at Giles.

I sat down delicately in the big plush chair and crossed my ankles, placing my hands in my lap. Caesar began.

"You look beautiful, Anitalla," Caesar smiled.

"Please," I giggled. "Call me Ani."

"Ani," Caesar corrected. "So, how do you like the Capitol?"

"It's beautiful," I smiled. "But it doesn't have the fields like back home."

"Yes, District 5," Caesar said. "What is your favorite thing to do in your District, Ani?"

"I love to run," I answered. "Running through the fields is so marvelous."

"Very fascinating," Caesar replied. "Tell me about your friends and family."

"I have my dad at home," I grinned weakly. "I hope he's alright. I love him so much."

Caesar let out an "Ahhh," and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "So sweet. You look so pretty, Ani. Do you have anyone special back home?"

"My best friend," I responded. "Giles, you are my best friend and I promise I will come home to you soon."

The camera's zoned in on Caesar and the tears streaming down his eyes. "So sweet, just so sweet," He cried. He turned toward the cameras. "You have one lucky lady, Giles."

"Thank you so much, Caesar," I murmered. "I just hope I'll get to see him again."

"I hope you do too, Ani," Caesar put his hand on my shoulder. "On another note, though, what about your performance in the Chariot rides? Very impressive, my Hawk Lady."

For a second I saw Squid saying that to me, and then Giles being here, but then I snapped back to reality. "I work with the hens back home," I started. "And there are many golden hawks in my area of the District. They are so wild and free, but also they are dangerous and hostile loners. I picture myself as a hawk in these Games. It does not matter what the Games are, it matters what you are, and what I am is a girl that is going to fly back home."

"So true," Caesar clapped for me. Hypocrite. I said my thank you, gave Caesar a hug, and walked back to my seat.

Dustin pulled the hostile and dangerous card, and not much was said in his interview. Well, not much I'd care to remember. Then Cecil came up after his partner Fliva returned. Caesar actually came over to Cecil's seat and walked him over to the plush chair. Cecil thanked him and sat down.

"Cecil," Caesar said with sympathy. "How hard was it on your family for you to be chosen for these Games?"

"I think it was hard," Cecil chirped. "But I know that I was put in this body for a reason, even if I don't know what it looks like. And I know that I was put on this Earth for a reason, even if I can't see how beautiful it is. And I know that even if my time is short, that whoever wins this game will deserve it, and they have my full support, even if I don't make it out of here."

I didn't hear the rest, because everyone in the crowd burst into tears. Softies. But I could feel the hot tears coming down my face and I felt a wave of sadness. This boy knew he was going to die. He knew it and accepted it, not like the rest of us.

I saw the camera zoom in on me crying, and I didn't know if this was good or bad. Crying? Before I decided to bawl my eyes out at the reaping. So I let the tears flow. I let them come because I actually meant these tears, these tears were for Cecil. Not for anyone else, not for the Capitol.

No one could follow up Cecil's interview. Almost everyone went by without any enthusiasm, that it, until Kayta.

"Kayta Grimwold," Caesar announced, and the little jittery thirteen year old twitched up to the big chair, but didn't sit down. Her peach colored dress seemed to move when she shook, and Caesar held out a hand for her.

"Sit down, Kayta," he said encouragingly.

"Get away from me!" Kayta slapped Caesar's hand away, screaming. She started to hyperventilate, and then she collapsed on the floor unconscious.

Caesar looked right at the cameraman with a look that said, "_What the hell do I do?_" But then a Peacekeeper came over and scooped Kayta off the floor, walking off the stage. Caesar straightened himself up again, wiped his hands on his blazer, and acted as if nothing had happened, and moved on to Gucci.

I zoned out thinking about everything that could be possibly thought about until I heard Squid's voice saying his last line in his interview.

"Caesar, I love my family. And I'm glad it's me, not my brother, here in this room." Squid smiled grimly. He walked back to his seat and we all stood up, walking out of the room with fake smiles and robotic waves.

Brother? Squid had a brother? Well, I thought, so did a lot of people here. Squid did, Pamola could, and heck even Dustin could have a brother. I didn't know anything about anyone. How was I supposed to win this Game?

* * *

The Cornucopia…I was on top of it again. But no one was here. Wait…a glint of red appeared in the bushes. It was that girl from the first time. Red Girl. I'm not good with names, okay? I looked around off the edge of the big horn and saw a huge pile of supplies. Off in the distance I could see a camp set up. I knew it was the Careers Camp immediately. My attention rushed back to Red Girl, who was dashing toward the supply pile. Jump, jump, jump, oh my God. Spots, on the ground! Mines… around the pile. What the hell was Red Girl doing?

Jump, jump, jump, wait! Oh, okay, she didn't fall. Jump, jump, and onto the pile! I wanted to cheer and leap in victory, but this was not a good time for that. She picked up a few apples and some other supplies, and then jump, jump, jumped away again before racing off into the woods again. She was almost as fast as me! But stealing from the Careers…I had to remember that. If I wasn't in an alliance with Pamola already, duh! I laughed to myself, but as I turned to face the pile again I was bombarded with the sight of a silver arrow flashing toward me. Had someone seen me? This wasn't real! I thought. The arrow ripped through a bag, and I watched the apples drop to the ground.

I saw her pin before I was thrust out of my dream by the explosion.

* * *

Everything felt rushed and vague, like my dream the night before. Fareeda un-caringly pulled my hair instead of brushing it like she was supposed to, while Cesar and Albina chatted away about how they just _knew_ I was going to be the best, and how they just absolutely _knew_ that I was to win. I sighed and took all of it without comment.

When Taban came in, we said very few words. He dressed me in dark flexible pants, a red tight-fitting shirt, and a dark sweatshirt with a zipper. He fixed my hair so it lay delicately over and behind my shoulders. Taban grasped my hand as we entered the torture machine, and we rode up to the roof of the Training Center, where a hovercraft was in wait. I sighed, and grasped the rung to the ladder. Instantly I was frozen and involuntarily pulled up into the hovercraft. It was worse than the torture room.

When I exited the hovercar, I couldn't see a thing. I could tell that we were underground. Monica grabbed my shoulder and led me down into the launch room. Why was everything so fast? Why couldn't it just slow down?

I stepped onto the launch pad, and Monica came toward me.

"You forgot this," she smiled grimly. She handed me my candle from my dad. I almost started to cry as I took it and placed it in the deep sweatshirt pocket. Monica gave me a hug and whispered, "Don't die, Ani."

"I promise," I rasped back, and separated myself from my mentor. The glass walls enclosed me in the tube, and I started to rise. Before I lost sight I saw Monica giving me a goodbye wave. I closed my eyes before the tears came, and only opened them when I came up on the ground of the arena. I looked around, and the sudden realization hit me like a blow to the head.

I was in the Hunger Games.

* * *

**So please review and tell me what you think! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!**

**And just an update this is not a one-book story. This will INDEED have a sequel, and if you think this is a bad idea oh well, cause I have a great idea for it.**

**Everyone that sent in a tribute, Thank you! And if you sent in a tribute and they have not appeared yet, don't worry, they will in the Games. If your characters die, I will make sure that they are given a great send-off and a heroic scene. OK so get to that little button! Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So this chap is a filler, I hated writing this, since a lot of people die. This is the first 4 days of the Games, and in the chapters to come it will narrow down to about 2 days a chapter. I'm hoping that the story will end with about 12 chapters, but you never know. So as always, R&R!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or any of its characters or concepts. I do not own the fairy tale the Pied Piper of Hamelin.**

**

* * *

5.**

Analyze. Analyze your surroundings, Ani.

I looked around in frantic observation. A lake that stretched as far as I could see. Hill land that didn't end. Brush that seemed to melt into desert. A large forest. I turned toward the Cornucopia.

It was bulging with supplies. There couldn't be so much! My eyes focused on a pack of knives on top of a large backpack. Then my eyes drifted to the left, and I saw it. A _crook_.

How did it get there? I didn't know, but I knew it was for me. I knew the sixty seconds was almost up, so I positioned myself to run.

That's when I noticed Dustin glaring at me.

He was out to kill me. I would have to grab the knives and pack, fight my way to the crook, then run for my life. Literally.

_BONG!_

Everyone ran. I was the fastest by far. I had grabbed the knives and pack by the time people had taken five steps. I grasped the crook, and then figured I had time to grab another pack.

Big mistake.

I grabbed another smaller green pack, and that's when I saw it.

A small girl, probably the youngest of us all, was attacking everyone like a maniac. She stuck a sword in a boy's chest, and he sunk to the ground. Then she swiped off a girl's head. I was traumatized. I didn't notice Cecil run blindly by me, or Dustin charging me.

He bowled me over, and it was good that all my supplies were on my crook. He swung down with a knife, but I kneed him in his parts. He cried out in pain, and I grabbed his knife, running out from under him, crook in my arms.

I had supplies. I had survived. But where was Pamola? I looked back around, but did not see her amongst the fighting. I kept running. I was headed toward the hills. My plan was to keep there and then make to the forest.

Run, run, just keep running. I could run for a while, I knew. So I just pushed farther and farther from that Cornucopia and the murderous 12 year old. I rushed along the valleys of the hills so I would not be seen, and when it became dark, I collapsed in exhaustion. But I could see the tree line, so I kept going, slower, though. When I reached the trees, I found the sturdiest one and climbed up as far as my muscles would allow.

As comfortable as I could be on a huge limb of a tree about twenty-five feet above the ground, I sat up and forced myself to look what I had snatched from the Cornucopia. My large black pack held a thermal sleeping bag, a small bow and 5 arrows, three bottles of water, a bottle of purifier, and a pack of jerky. Upset with the amount of food, I ripped the green pack open. I was overjoyed to find it filled with food and water. There wasn't much, but I got an extra two water bottles, a large loaf of bread, a jar of applesauce, dried fruit, two pears and a box of sweet crackers. At the bottom I found a small bottle of what was labeled _lemonade_. I had no idea what this was, but when I took a sip of it I immediately wanted more, its sweet tangy flavor overcoming my senses. I stuffed the luxories away, taking one more sip of lemonade and ripped off a piece of bread and ate it with a short piece of jerky. I slipped inside my sleeping bag and settled in. I didn't take mind to secure myself to the tree because I had nessled between two very close strong branches. I pushed my food pack in my bigger pack and wore it on my shoulders in case I needed to run, slipping it up some for a pillow.

The anthem played in the sky, and I grimaced as I watched the spectacle through a break in the leaves of the tree. The Capitol Seal flashed in the sky, and I looked at the faces in the sky. I tried to hid my horror through it all.

Boro Hular, the District 2 boy. The District 3 boy, District 7 boy, District 9 and 10 girls. Then the anthem played again and the sky was dark again.

Boro was dead? That was impossible. He was strong, a huge kid. But he was dead. And now I knew one thing: The Career alliance was not happening.

There was another thing, too. Not someone who had died, more like someone who hadn't. Cecil. He wasn't dead. But if he wasn't, where was he? How was he not dead yet? I had no clue.

Another thing that was troubling was that Dustin was still out there, looking for me. That thought made it hard to settle down.

I tried to sleep because my plan was to wake up early and find a place more secure to hide until I could find Pamola. I would wake up at every bird chirp or twig snap, though, so I stayed there longer than I meant to, slipping in a good five hours sleep. I rolled up the sleeping back and shouldered my pack, using my crook as a walking stick.

I walked farther into the woods, figuring that I would be less likely found there. I walked for hours, finally stopping in a big thicket of bushes. I crawled into the bushes, propping myself up into a cross position. But I saw a flash in the sky, and I rolled on my back, hitting my head on something hard. After realizing stupidly that the flash was a bird, I raised my head slowly, rubbing the back of my crown. After flipping over I found that what I had hit my head on was a small chest. My father had told me that the people in District 1 kept their valuables in chests like these. Eagerly I opened the latch.

Inside I found a sharp twisted dagger. I eyed it closely, and it made a _shing_ noise when I slid it in its case. I also found a small vial of iodine and a small cake with frosting. All of my desires pushed it toward my mouth, and I saw colors in the delight. It was so tasty! The only time I had tasted cake like this was on my thirteenth birthday, when the whole ram pen pitched in to get me a cake.

After that I settled down again and took my crook in my hand. It made me happy to have one. I took two of my throwing knives and placed them next to the crook, and then stripped two large vines of their leaves. Then I took each knife and secured them on the butt of my crook. Now it was deadly.

I pushed forward again, stomping through thorns and slipping through prickers. I had to keep moving. Once and awhile I would turn slightly, heading toward the brush. I thought. I had to find Pamola. Together we could survive. Well, until it wasn't possible for an alliance anymore.

I moved into a thicket of prickers and started to eat more bread and some applesauce, taking a few bites of a pear. It wasn't the life, but it would have to do for now.

Late that night I heard voices and woke up with a start. The voices stopped, and then continued when they decided I wasn't there. I held my breath, lying down in the prickers.

"I don't care what you want, Dustin, she's not going to be here!" I heard a voice rasp.

"Shut up, Rico, you will help me find the girl or you can go back to the bloodbath _I_ saved you from!"

"I should have stuck with Tanya," Rico muttered.

"Yeah, cause you 8's would have murdered everyone and made it out together!" Dustin mocked. "You'd be dead if it wasn't for me, so shut your trap and find Ani!"

Crap.

I heard no footsteps, but a turn on the grass, and then the District 8 boy spoke again. "No, Dustin. The way I'm playing this game is to take on people who come my way, not go searching for a fight. Swallow your grudge and try to win this thing, 5!"

"You did not just say that," Dustin growled.

"I said it," Rico barked back.

I heard Dustin cry out and then a grunt of pain came from Rico. I started to cry, tears stuck at my eyes as I held my breath. Then Rico gasped, made a gurgling sound, and there was a thud on the ground. I knew he was dead when the cannon went off. Dustin picked something up and then spoke again.

"You don't say no to me, Rico," he hissed. "Now I only have Gucci."

And he ran away. Gucci was allianced with Dustin, too. It was only a matter of time before they found me. And then what? I let the tears come but no sound. Dustin would not stop until I had left this Earth.

I didn't sleep at all.

The next morning I was just relived that I had survived three days into the Games. But I was also worried that there were still seventeen competitors left. I ate a quick breakfast and kept trudging through the forest, content on distancing myself from Dustin.

Wait, did I say breakfast? More like huge dinner. I was horrified to find that I had slept until late afternoon in a desperate attempt for my body to gain energy after my all-day walks. It was even worse because now, on the third day in the forest, it became very rocky. I had to climb and jump over boulders and rock piles, and I wondered how these rocks got there. I could have sworn that I had seen no rocks yesterday. But I kept walking.

I walked through half the night, trying to make up for lost time that I had spent dozing. I had to find Pamola and not run into Dustin.

That failed miserably.

I had swung my crook over my shoulder, the big pack on the hook. I sauntered along, feeling as safe as one could feel in these Games. In my mind I was whistling a sweet tune Giles had conjured in that big 'imagination' of his. I loved it and in my head it kept playing.

_La la la, la la la la la!_

Suddenly pain seared up my left arm and I was flung backwards against a tree. I saw many glints in the air, and then a thunk, and I couldn't move from where I stood, my back pressed on a tree. Then a figure appeared, laughing.

"Oh, Ani, Dustin is going to be so pleased to know that you are dead," Gucci snickered.

"Gucci," I gasped. "Please. He's going to kill you anyway, whether I'm dead or not."

"I don't think so," Gucci smiled. "You see, I plan on killing Dustin after you're gone. It won't be hard. I have great aim. Even before he sees me he'll be dead."

"It's not possible," I replied hoarsly. "He's probably watching you, right now."

"Shut up, 5," Gucci spat. "He's far away, eating some boar or something disgusting like that. He sent me to find you…" He twirled a knife in his hand, then pushed his palm against my forehead, sending my head into the tree. He took the knife and pulled it across the air nearly a millimeter from my neck. The tip caught the side of my throat and I cried out in pain at the small but bloody cut. Gucci laughed evilly. I started to breathe heavily, pain flowing out of my neck, and I tried to look down at the cut to assess how bad was, but Gucci pulled my hair up, snapping my head in another gasp of pain, grabbed my hood and stuck another knife in it, dangerously close to the top of my head. I tried to squirm, but Gucci was an expert on his knives. Every time I tried to move a body part, I felt the blade of another knife puncture my skin. Eventually I whimpered and slunk in defeat, my knives holding me up a prisoner.

Gucci laughed again. "Face it, Ani, it's over. You'll never go home to your precious boyfriend."

"He's not…my…" I couldn't make out the words. The pain was too great. I couldn't see Gucci anymore. I couldn't see much, it was so dark.

"I might as well make it show, shall I?" Gucci asked no one. "Make sure _Giles_ can see the scattered remains of his love?"

"Stop," I whispered. "No…"

"No?" Gucci asked, raising one eyebrow. "Well you don't really have a choice, beautiful. I think I'll start with your pretty hair."

Gucci took out a much larger, sharper knife from his belt, and pulled a long lock of my hair near my ear. "Such a waste," he sneered, and cut it off. He cut so near to my scalp that I could feel the burn of the knife.

Gucci held the lock up, then pet it, pocketing it in his pants. "I think Dustin will want more," he chortled, and cut another strand off near my forehead. He held this one up in the moonlight, too, and frowned.

"He'll want some blood, no?" he asked me.

"No," I almost mouthed. "Please." My voice was getting weaker.

"I think so," Gucci replied smugly, and took out a small knife. He pushed my forehead up again, and took a small swipe at my forehead. I felt the hot sticky blood flow down my face, covering my eyes, making it so I couldn't see anymore. My tears started to flow with the blood, and I knew I was going to die.

Gucci was roaring with laughter now, and he cleaned the blood off my face with my lock of hair. It kept flowing, though, and by the time it began to scab my hair in Gucci's hair was dripping and red, and I couldn't tell up from down anymore. My eyes were closing, my body literally held up by Gucci's knives, for my feet were not working anymore, they were just dangling from the ground.

"Almost gone, Ani? Gucci asked. It sounded like he was miles away. "Good. This will be easier. No screaming…"

Gucci stepped toward me. "You know, frankly, I was content on killing you if Dustin helped me kill Kayta. That insane little kid is ridiculous. I have to kill her before she starts ranting about how the President is a magic fairy and rains chocolate."

"End it," I rasped. "Just end it. Please, Gucci."

"End it?" Gucci cackled. "After you_ asked_ me to? No way, little 5. This is going to be a long night, Ani. You'll die out with your last breath, and then I'll take your body to Dustin. He'll probably burn you. After everything you've done to him? He has a good reason to."

"You don't know…the real him." My eyes were closed, my heart and vocal chords the only things working.

"Sure I do," Gucci replied. "And after you and Kayta are dead, you know who we'll kill next?"

I didn't answer.

"Your little Career buddy Pamola and that stupid little blind kid. I don't know how he survived this long, but he's going to die just like you are, right now. I'll cut his eyes out. He doesn't use them anyway, right?" He laughed again. "Oh, and I will win these Games. I will be the first District 11 victor, my first kill? You."

I opened my eyes slightly and looked at him. He was grinning. How he was happy about this I didn't know.

"You're boring me, little 5." Gucci sighed. "I guess I have to kill you now."

But he didn't take out a knife. Instead, he flung them all to the ground. Then he cracked his knuckles, advancing toward me. He reached out his hands and placed his hands around my throat.

"Goodbye, Anitalla," He whispered in my ear, and tightened his grip to the 'die' setting. I couldn't get air. My brain started to spaz out. My heart beat faster and faster and faster, and then started to weaken. It seems odd, but the only thing my brain would think was Giles's little tune.

_La la la, la la la la la….la la…la…la…_

When I heard a cannon fire I thought it was for me. When I fell from the tree to the ground, free of my restraints, I thought that Gucci was done with me. When I felt myself being carried away, I believed that Gucci was taking me to Dustin. But when I woke up, the pain in my neck gone, I was looking at Pablo, the District 4 boy.

For half a heartbeat I just noticed how his eyes were a deep blue. Then I sat straight up in fear.

"What?" I yelled.

"Shut up!" Pablo hissed, pushing me back down. "You're still losing blood, and it doesn't help if you're yelling. Dustin could hear!"

Dustin. Gucci. Me. The tree.

"Where's Gucci?" I asked warily.

"Dead," Pablo replied calmly, applying some kind of bandage onto my forehead. "I was able to heal your neck, by the way. Gucci didn't live long enough to do that much damage."

"Thanks," I replied absentmindedly. "Did you kill him?"

"Gucci?" Pablo asked. "Yes."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it wasn't right, the way he was toying with you. No offense, but if he had killed you straight out I would have just crept away."

"It's the Hunger Games," I looked Pablo in the eye. "Of course you would have."

Pablo looked down, and then stood up silently. "We have to move," he told me. "I'll bring you to the treeline. Then you're on your own, okay?"

I had no problem with that.

Pablo carried my pack while I used my crook as a walking stick again. I half expected him to run off with it, but he didn't. He just kept walking with me through the forest. I still felt woozy from blood loss, but the cut wasn't that deep. It was more of the blood flow and Gucci's hands that would have killed me. Nothing else.

"How'd you do it?" I asked Pablo. "Gucci was great with those knives, seeing as he was able to pin me to a tree."

"Snuck up on him," Pablo replied simply. "He was so content on killing you that he didn't hear me. Stuck this sword in his back." Pablo showed me his sharp sword. "Very useful, eh?"

"Yeah," I replied weakly.

We walked the rest of the way in silence. I was relived to see that the killer twelve-year-old wasn't around when I caught sight of the Cornucopia. It was still half-way filled with supplies. I made a mental note to grab some later.

I turned to Pablo now. "Thank you. So much." I didn't cry, I just looked him straight in the face.

"Welcome," Pablo responded, and I gave him a quick hug. But as I retreated from my expression of thanks, Pablo smiled, then his glossy blue eyes turned dull. He fell to ground to reveal none other than Dustin, smiling with malice in his eyes and a bow in his hand, a mere twenty feet away. I looked at Pablo, who had three arrows in his back and one in his neck.

I had no time to mourn over my savior, because he wasn't here to save me anymore. So I wrenched my pack off of Pablo's arm and ran, crook slid in my belt. I could tell Dustin was behind me, though, because he kept cackling, and every few seconds an arrow would whizz by me. I guess Pablo was easier to hit, seeing as he wasn't moving and the dude was really tall. I saw another stretch of trees ahead, and I bolted for it.

I guess if I wasn't fast, I would have died then and there. Because I somehow triggered a mine. A mine that me flying into the grove, and sent Dustin sprawling backwards, unable to reach me without being blown to smithereens. I was safe from him. For now.

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**PLZ review, it helps me write. Give me ideas, suggestions, and plz don't just review about your character. i like all of the characters that were submitted, and all of them will get a spotlight soon enough. So until the next chap, review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for taking so long to update! A lot of writers have been busy lately. Anyway here's the next chapter in the installment of Ani's Story. Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, nor the Pied Piper of Hamelin.**

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** 6.**

I woke up drowning.

I had crawled into a tall tree inside the grove, looking out for mines. I scaled a monstrous oak, securing my stuff at the top of the tree, then climbing down about halfway with my sleeping bag to a comfy and safe spot. So I thought.

That was then. This was now. I was underwater. I couldn't see a thing. I tried to breathe. Very bad idea. All I got was a humongo lungful of sharp salt water.

Salt water?

I looked up to see that the surface was very, very far up. I started flailing in the water, trying to swim. I knew I couldn't. Giles would always show off and swim in the duck pond. He offered to teach me as Dume taught him, but I had refused. Why?

But then I saw my tree. It was still there. But I was in the lake! Someone had to have dumped me. But I grasped the tree, puling up with my arms, which soon started to ache along with my lungs. I could see dots flashing on my eyes. I closed them, but the dots remained. Everything was fading, but I couldn't give up, no matter how much my body burned.

When I finally broke the surface, I saw that the top of the tree was about six feet above me, my weapons and supplies still dry. I was relived. But then I looked around.

The whole arena was submerged in water. It looked as if the lake had flooded over night, and rose sixty feet. Most of the hills were submerged, as well as the brush and forest. There were only a few trees that threatened to stand above the giant new sea. But somehow I felt that everyone had survived this day so far. Last night the only death other than Pablo was the District 1 girl. Probably blew herself up.

I saw movement from the forest. It was a tribute. She was swimming toward something where the middle of the lake was. That was near me. I couldn't tell where the real center was anymore, but I knew my grove was right next to the water when it was…normal. As the figure swam closer, I realized who it was, and what they were swimming toward.

It was Layla, and she was swimming toward a raft that was actually really close. But as I looked closer at it, I saw big fish swimming around it. My father had told me what these were called.

_Sharks_.

But it wasn't the sharks Layla was going for. I would call her insane if she was. But on that platform, I realized, was something that could save my life.

Water machines.

In school my teacher Ms. Killa taught us that in District 4, to get around really fast, messengers would use water machines to get around. They also used them for fun. They showed us these really old machines called motorcycles, and how they related to the water machines.

Fact of the matter was, if I had one, I wouldn't be killed.

I dug out my dagger from my pack. Turns out that Pablo did steal some of my food, so my dried fruit and three quarters of my bread was gone, along with two bottles of water. Some of my knives had fallen out of the small pocket in my pack in the explosion. But I scarfed down the rest of my bread, drank half of a water bottle, and then started swimming toward death.

Immediately I was exhausted. My wounds still hurt, but if I didn't want to be attacked by another tribute, or a shark, then I would have to have one of those water machines.

It was ironic that by almost dying in the jaws of sharks I was protecting myself from dying in the jaws of sharks.

When I was about twenty yards from the raft I really wanted to go back. But I continued on as fast as I could, which was basically a lot of flailing in the water. I couldn't swim almost at all, I just moved my arms in a forward fashion and kicked my legs frantically, which was pretty stupid of me because I was wasting all of my energy.

The only reason I didn't get chomped I guess was because of the gorgeous guy that was attracting the sharks' attention.

Julian. His last name? No idea. All I knew about the boy was that he was one of the best fighters in the Career Alliance and that he was freakin' smoking hot. His wavy dark blond hair fell over his deep, hazel eyes. His features were chiseled and perfect in every way. Even Pamola had stared at him during training, whether we were taking a break or she was kicking his butt. I actually stopped swimming for a minute just to look at him swim.

Bad idea. _Really_ bad idea.

The glint of his knife got me moving again. The dorsal fin of a shark helped too. I swam frantically toward the raft, clawing my way up onto the wooden structure. I sat there for a minute, squatting down and panting heavily, my eyes on the wood of the raft. But the minute I stopped to look at Julian swim, Layla had reached the raft and climbed onto one of the three water machines. In the ten minutes it took me to swim from my tree to the raft area, one of the water machines had been taken, leaving two left, with Layla on one and Julian very close to me.

Not good.

The moment I looked up from the wood and realized all of this, my face met Layla's boot. The impact knocked the wind out of my lungs and the blood out of my nose, and I was sent tumbling back into the water. I was starting to get really cold. Not to mention that I was starting to get really dead because of the blood oozing from my face and the six something sharks around me. Even though I was seeing colors, I quickly climbed back onto the raft, just as the jaws of one of them monsters gnawed on the corner of the raft where my leg had been a mere second before. I'm not joking. I dove for Layla's machine, which was starting up, and I punched her pretty face. She turned to me and lashed out with her fist, catching me in the jaw. I was angry now. She tried to knee me in the gut, but I backed away, pulling my dagger out of its sheath. But she had a weapon too. Out of nowhere came a trident, basically to me a giant water pitchfork. A _sharp_, giant water pitchfork.

Layla swung at me, and I ducked, her trident missing me by inches. I dove at her again, grabbing a handful of her caramel hair. She screamed and hit me in the stomach with the butt of her weapon, making me stagger, but I lashed out with my dagger, my hand still in her hair. The blade stuck itself in Layla's right bicep, making her roar in pain. With her left hand she punched me in the face once, twice, six times with enraged fury. I fell back onto my back, and Layla sped off on the water machine, my dagger wrenching itself out of her muscles. Immediately I wiped my bloody mouth and grabbed the last water machine, slipping off the tie and started it up, dagger in hand again. I rammed the engine, and the machine slid off the raft in such force I almost fell off. I flew up onto the wheel two seconds later when it jerked to a stop. The machine was trying to push forward, trying to go, but something was holding it back. I looked behind me and saw none other than Julian holding the rope back with all of his strength. I jerked the handle yet again, and the machine sped off, Julian tailing behind, his hands glued to the rope.

I was going all out. I wanted to get rid of this gorgeous jerk. I looked back again, and noticed that he was no longer floundering on the hard water, hitting his back and his legs with no control. Julian had managed to get his legs underneath and in front of his spine, and now he was hanging onto my rope with his hands while he was sailing along the water, almost with comfort. I was getting worried that he could reach me. Then I became terrified when Julian began to inch forward on the rope.

I threw the wheel, first to the left and then to the right, changing the direction every second, trying to knock this District 1 boy off of my machine. But he held strong, his arms muscles wrenching in pain, his knees bent in concentration on staying up. I steered toward the trees, going faster than I had ever thought possible. I shifted through the tree tops, hitting some low ones on the way, and so did Julian, knocking him on his stomach, cutting his clothes, but he still hung on.

Dang, why wouldn't he just fall off already?

I headed toward the hills. My plan was insane. I saw a hilltop protruding from the water. I sped up, if that was possible, but the hill was still a hundred yards away when he attacked me.

"Die!" Julian screamed, jumping on my machine. I screamed, turning around, pulling my trusty out of its house, but Julian didn't seem to have any weapon on him. Did he lose his knife? He punched me on the temple, making me see colors again, then drove my head down to his knee. I crumpled to the ground, my dagger still stationary in my fist. Julian grabbed my ankle, pulling me upside down.

That's when we flew.

The water machine hit the hill with speeds of over seventy miles an hour, and it didn't stop when it didn't have water anymore. We were hurled across the air, and Julian let go of me, sending me cast over the side of the machine, which was at least fifteen feet up in the air. I hit the water hard on my back, and continued to cut the water down, and I closed my eyes. It hurt _so_ much. I just wanted it to go away. Make the hurt go away, please, make it go away!

My back hit the metal of the Cornucopia with a waterlogged thud. I didn't bother trying to breathe. It was over. Five days in hell, and it was over. Dustin would be relieved that I had died. He didn't have to bother anymore. No one would have to bother…

Of course I wasn't allowed to have a peaceful death. A hand appeared not three feet away from me, uncovering the face of the District 9 boy. He didn't seem to see me, insanity painted in his eyes. Then he spotted me, and he let out a gurgling cry, driving his sword through the dense water toward my heart. I shut my eyes again, getting ready for the pain, when I heard another cry, this time in agony. I opened my eyes again just to hear the distant cannon and to see the shark swimming away, a cloud of blood following him.

I don't bother to grab the sword sinking, but tore my way up toward the surface, torment finding its way in my body. I broke the surface and gasped for air, oxygen finding its way into my lungs like candy to my taste buds. I made my way slowly toward the grove of trees, swimming low and silently so I wouldn't be spotted. The water had seemed to lower a bit, so I perched myself in my tree. Collapsing into unconsciousness after eating a feast of most of my food and water. I was just so _hungry_. I only had one water bottle, my lemonade, my jerky, applesauce, and crackers left. I had to ration it slowly, eat only a little…a…day…

'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`

That girl…she was ruining everything. He, _he_ was gone. If he was here, she could win. She knew she could. She had survived this long, hadn't she? Only six left. But she…_she_ was one of them, and she had her boy too. Why couldn't it be _her_ that was scrambling for food, stealing supplies from the Careers? She wanted to have her boy back…he would know what to do. Ever since the explosion that _she_ caused, she had had no food. Yes, it was truly excellent that the Careers had no supplies and had to fend for themselves just to find their next meal, but this also left her in a difficult situation. If only he were here! They could win together, go back home, live together in the Victor's Village, have a happy life…but no. The Careers had made sure of that.

She was determined to win, whatever it took. She would wait it out. The Careers would kill each other, if they didn't die fighting the other boy or _her_. Her boy was dying anyway, he wouldn't make it long.

When she had seen the announcement in the sky, she had been overjoyed. What she needed the most? To win, obviously. But to do that she needed food. And that was what she would get.

She peeked from the bushes she hid in from the beginning of this horrible nightmare and looked toward the Cornucopia. There were four backpacks. The biggest went to the Careers? Was that really fair? The next one went to the other boy, and then she saw hers. There was one more, but she didn't care.

She ran out from under her bush and zoomed to her backpack. Without any second guesses or any time to think she had grabbed her backpack and she was running through the woods. No one would chase her, they all needed their supplies. She ran and sat in a dense thicket of bushes, waiting, not breathing. She opened her pack, but instead of food, all she found was a large pack of knives and a water bottle. She cried in loud anguish, crying. Then she heard a scream, and then _she_ broke into the clearing she was watching. She held her breath again.

Career Girl pined her. She was playing with _her_, making sure she would die painfully. She smirked. Career Girl would take care of her. Maybe this would be easier now. They would kill each other off. She could kill _her_ boy, he was so weak from that cut. She had knives now, did she not? Maybe this was what they meant.

She watched Career Girl pull out a knife. It was over. _She_ would be gone. She could go home soon.

The crack of Career Girl's skull came down on her like the rock upon her head.

I snapped my eyes open, my dream pounding in my skull. I wasn't in my tree anymore. I wasn't anywhere near there. I tried to scream, but a hand was clamped over my mouth. All I saw was a familiar flash of long blond hair and heard the accustomed gruff yet feminine voice.

"Hey, Ani."

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**Ooh, a twist! So don't forget to review! I'd like to thank CloudyNK and thehappypursuit-182 for reviewing the last chapter. Tell me what you think! I think it's a bit obvious, but who's the girl Ani dreams about? All shall be revealed...in time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey #1: SOO SORRY i haven't updated! School is horrible haha! And the other reason I haven't updated is in #2 im sorry about, which is that the chapter is like wicked long. I couldn't end it except for the way I did, and this is sooo a filler chapter. So read, review, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Iz doz notz ownz anythingz havingz toz doz withz thez HUNGER GAMES BY SUZANNE COLLINS. yayz.**

**P.S OK ya to those people who after reading this chapter are like "Wait, Ani gets hurt and injured and like "Ahhh!" WAY too much!", well almost every fight she has, or every cut she gets relates to later in the story when they are mentioned in this story AND the next, so don't worry, she doesn't get beat up too much after this. But it IS the Hunger Games, peoplez. OK R&R!**

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**7.**

"Pamola," I gasped, scrambling up onto my elbows. I couldn't see a thing it was so black out. It couldn't be morning yet…could it?

"Shh, Ani! Don't be daft, there's still all those freaks out there trying to kill us!"

Oh right.

"Well, where are we?" I asked in a whisper.

"In the brush. No one came in here 'cause its so thick and there's prickers everywhere. Snakes and things. I got me an overhang of a big rock and skinned all the rattlers that came by. Set up a livin' space. Pretty nice, huh? Dark though…"

I didn't understand half of her words. "Wait, what? I was in the grove by the lake! How am I suddenly over here?"

Pamola pushed back her hair and slumped down into a cross-legged position, fingering a knife uncomfortably. Pamola couldn't work with knives unless she was throwing them. Swords and bows were her weapons, especially with her leg.

"Well, see, I found you in your tree there, and you wouldn't wake up, and I shook you and everything, but I had seen Julian and I didn't wanna risk nothin'. So I just scooped you up and brought you back here."

"You _kidnapped_ me?" I furrowed my brows in anger.

"Don't you worry none, I brought your stuff. Hey, what is lemonade? I mean, I know people who talk 'bout yummy stuff like that, but I've never had none. Just saw it, though, didn't drink any."

I was too angry to answer her question. "Pamola, couldn't have you waited till I woke up? You didn't need to cart me no where, what if something happened?"

"Oh, something happened all right," Pamola sighed, hanging her head in exhaustion. "Scumy little 10 boy attacked me in the middle of bringing you here. Man, you were out! I had to drop you on the ground and everything, but girl, you never woke, even when he was screaming."

This scared me.

"I mean, it would've been better if he hadn't screamed, 'cause someone else could've come 'long, but he deserved it, giving me this!"

Pamola pulled down her shirt to reveal a long but thin cut along her gut. "Ugly little dirt," she muttered. "Tried to get you after seeing ya, actually. Gave you a nasty to match your broke nose, too."

Broken nose? Oh yeah, Layla.

I looked at my arm to see a scar forming on my tricep. Wasn't big, and I barely felt it, but like Pamola said, it sure looked nasty.

"Gave you an herb," Pamola said.

"How long was I unconscious?" I asked.

"I've no clue, but since I found you it's been 'bout maybe three hours. Sixth day, huh, Ani? We survived this long!"

"Great," I muttered under my breath. "Who knows how long we have to go now."

"Well, anysways, Ani," Pamola squinted toward my face. "I'ves a theory 'bout how to get through that, but it's alight out, and I want you to asees somethin'."

Pamola was talking like something was biting her tongue. But then again, I remembered Hary talking a bit like that. Maybe it was a 2 thing. I followed Pamola out of the dark cave/overhang and into the bright light of the Arena. It was really hot out, but there was a wind. It felt just like…like…

"Before I tell ya my theory, I wanted you to be happy." Pamola handed me my dagger, two knives, and my crook. "Maybe you'll understand a bit better after. So you come back before nightfall, you hear? It's about three in the afternoon judgin' by the sun."

"What?" I asked, in shock.

Pamola gave me a shove. "Go! Have some reminiscence, girl! And bring back some food, the good stuff!"

"Good stuff?" I asked, turning around, but Pamola was gone. I looked in the overhang, but she wasn't in there either. She had told me to have fun, some reminiscence, and to bring back some food. Whatever could she have meant?

My thought process was interrupted by the piercing sound of a hawk call.

Hawk call? I looked around, taking in my surroundings. All of the water was gone, leaving in its wake fields. Fields and fields with boulders. Tall grass and wild flowers marked the area until the terrain broke into scarce woods. I saw a snake flash out at a field mouse in my peripheral vision, and two golden hawks in the sky. I saw a ram jump on one of the boulders, and could make out the clucking of chickens.

I was in District Five. I was at home.

I started sprinting. There was only one way to make sure I wasn't dead, dreaming, or really home. I had to find the Cornucopia. I bounded over the terrain I knew so well, scattering animals in my path. I even saw a few cattle. I dove into a patch of bushes, and looked through its branches to see the shining gold of the Cornucopia. My spirits fell dramatically. I wasn't in District 5. I wasn't home. Through those woods I wouldn't find my dad in Giles's house, with Dume on the rocking chair out front. I wouldn't find Evan around the bend of a small river ordering Kendal Morrison or Grenda Heavler from the geese around. I wouldn't find the Sweep filled to the brim of its shacks with Cleaners, or the Reel with frimphy fru-fru businessmen. I wouldn't find the boys playing cards or the girls at school listening to Ms. Killa. I did the one thing I thought of doing at that moment.

I cried.

I wasn't going to go home. I was never going to see my family again. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be kidnapped by Pamola just so we could find each other for the alliance. I didn't want to have dreams that kept me unconscious when I was attacked. I didn't want to kill anyone. I didn't want to stab Layla, or throw Julian from my water machine. But I did.

I crawled out from underneath the bush and sat on a rock. I didn't care if someone saw me. I would just run. Or would I?

A silver parachute dropped from the sky and onto my lap. I looked down at the small brown package, and I ripped the paper open, sniffing. It was from a sponsor, I knew that. But who would send me something after I had bawled?

I looked at the package, and saw a sharp axe with a rubber handle for gripping. I smiled and put that to the side, pulling a piece of bread out. It was still warm. I wanted to cry again, because I knew it was from Quinn's Bakery as soon as I saw the note.

Dear Ani,

Do you like our presents? Quinn says to enjoy the bread, she says it is a tiny fraction of things she could give you. We all want you to come home. Just to prove this, I went to every pen, even to the Cleaners and the rest of the executives, and they signed it too. Most of the Hub is in here, Ani. Look on the back. I miss you so much, and I would have volunteered if you were a boy, Ani! Please come back, please.

Giles

I felt tears in my eyes as I read the note from my friend. I looked on the back and saw a folded piece of paper attached. I unfolded it and a wave of nostalgia hit me. It was the note I forgot on the train, with scribbling at the beginning and end.

Forgot something, didn't you, Hawk Lady? Well, now it means more than ever.

Ani,

Good luck at the Games. This is rushed, because you just got reaped along with Dustin. I gathered everyone from the pens immediately and I wrote this for you. We know you can win. You're skilled, smart, clever, and strong. We all love you and you _will_ come home to us. We're counting on you, Ani.

Signed: Evan,

I looked at all the names scrawled on the piece of paper. There was at least two hundred names squeezed on the front and back of the paper, filling every possible space. I saw Giles's name, along with Kendal's and the fancy writing of my dad's signature.

I stood up. I had done my reminiscing. It was time to win, for everyone. I grabbed my crook and swung at the bush, cutting off a few vines. I tied them to my pants and slipped my axe, dagger, and knives into a few so I could run without cutting myself. I then shucked some red berry twigs and put them in my hair so the blood red showed, like I used to do at home. I took the note, grasped it in my hand, and spun in a circle, because I had no clue where the cameras were. I whispered, "I will come home, Evan, Giles, Dad. I promise."

I stuffed the paper in my shirt and took off, going faster than I usually did. I loved it. It felt like home, running through the fields and over the rocks. I held my crook in my hand, maneuvering in a way that was comfortable. I didn't see any tributes. I didn't face any threats, other than the snakes, but I was moving too fast for those little creeps. I remembered what Pamola said and took down a few birds, but it felt too odd for me to kill any of the big animals. But I did catch a sheep. I caught it with my crook and used my knife to cut off a line of thick wool. I then let it take off, and I cradeled the soft wool in my hands, feeling it on my face. I loved it. I also caught a hawk in my hands, just as it was going to take off after munching on a vole. I plucked a few golden feathers and I let it go, after it tried to get a couple nips of my skin. I laughed loudly and tied my feathers to a vine, and wrapped it around my neck, placing two in my hair. I was truly a hawk lady now.

I, dare I say it, was having fun. It was District 5. It hadn't been here yesterday, but it was here today, and that's all that mattered to me. I played with the animals, skinned my birds, tied them at the legs and skipped (yes, _skipped_) to the rock overhang. I knocked happily on the roof and ducked inside the cave.

I must have been grinning, because Pamola looked up, pushing her hair up with her right hand. "You look happy," she stated.

"Very," I plopped down on the ground, next to the small fire Pamola had started. It was quite smart, really. Kept us warm, cooked whatever needed cooking, and no one could see it, mind that it got smokey.

"Did you get some yummies?" Pamola asked, rubbing her hands together.

I pulled out the four birds I had skinned and Pamola smirked, letting out a small laugh. "Ready to go and everythin'," she remarked. "I caught a little varmint, and I smoked 'im 'long with the rattlers from yesterday. Got us some fine jerky, my friend. We can have a whole bird fresh tonight, and smoked bird for a while. Yeah!"

I smiled again. It was true, we could have quite a feast for a little while.

"It's like District 5," I said nonchalantly, motioning outside with my head.

"Mhm," Pamola hummed in response. "Did you wanna hear it now or suffer through it later?"

"What?" I asked, looking toward the bird on the fire.

"My theory, Anitalla, my'a theory."

"About the arena?"

"That be the one."

"Well?"

"Oh. Well'um, I need to ask you some questions first."

"Fire away," I told her. My mind was outside still.

"On the second day, did you find anythun'?"

I thought for a minute, and I found my hand inching toward my belt. "I found a chest with this dagger and a cake." I replied, the cake taste on my tongue.

Pamola just nodded. "Mhm, alright, what changed on the third day?"

Again I had to ponder. "There were a lot of rocks," I remarked. "I thought I had reached a rough part of the forest, because the next day I found none."

Pamola smirked. I looked at her funny, and she laughed really hard, like she was insane. She could've been, for all I knew and or assumed.

"So, Ani, the next day?"

"I escaped Dustin that day because a mine blew up, sending me into the grove. He couldn't follow, he would've been blown up."

"Yesterday?"

"You know!"

"Not all of the story, young'n."

"Fine. I evaided sharks, got kicked in the face by Layla and she broke my nose, I stole a water machine but Julian hung on and I was flung off, he was too. I almost drowned and almost got killed by the District 9 boy, but I shark decided to munch on him and I found my way back to the tree and you kidnapped me while I was sleeping."

"You were out," Pamola muttered. "But anyways, that's a lot. What's in common with all of these days in this dreaded hell?"

"They're hell?" I asked.

Pamola snickered. "No," she answered.

"The arena changes everyday," I whispered.

"Yes!" Pamola sat up with straight posture. "I think, Ani, that it is changing in a pattern."

"A pattern?" I repeated.

"Yeah. I think that the arena, it's changing. But, it's going through the Districts. Everday, Ani. It's happened with 2. And 5."

I widened my eyes. It made sense.

"First day was them luxury stuff. Rocks and weapons the next, that's 2, I should know. The next day was electronical doo-hickeys, like the mines, but the lake was electrified too. That District 1 girl, Aewoyn? She had been a'following me, and she was stupid enough to chase a low-flyer over a rock and into the lake. I had thrown a stick in, and it dissolved, so I hid. It was gruesome, girl. She started shaking and everything, burning and being electrifified. Yesterday has all the evidence that it was 4, and look outside? You said it yourself my friend."

I nodded silently. She was right.

"So tomorrow I reckon will have something to do with science and things like that, the next day somethin' with lumber, the next fabrics and linens and such, you know?"

"Pamola?" I asked in a strained voice.

She looked at me, pulling back her thick hair again. "Yes, girl? What's wrong?"

"Who's dead?"

Pamola put on a grim face and faced me with cold eyes. She said them all with out hesitation.

"The bloodbath deaths were the 7 boy, 8 and 9 girls, Hary and the 3 boy," I winced at Hary's name. "On the second day I killed the 8 boy, he attacked me, and the 7 girl." Again, she had murdered. "3rd day was the 6 girl, 11 boy, and Pablo." Fliva? Oh God. "Aeowyn died the next day, pretty little dumb thing, and the 9 boy died yesterday. I killed the 10 boy this morning for you, my friend. I hate killin' these kids, but it is what I was trained to do. I've gotten two sponsor gifts, one was a long sword, the other bread, for killing. I don't like getting gifts if it's for murdering. I've done 2 out of 13 deaths, Ani. There's eleven people left."

"How?" I asked.

"What?" Pamola gruffed.

"How? How is he surviving?"

"Your boyfriend or the blind kid?"

I punched her in the bad leg, really hard. She left out a cry and furrowed her eyebrows. "OK, girl, I take it back."

"Cecil," I answered.

"The blind one, right?" Pamola raised her eyebrows.

I nodded, pulling my lips to one side.

"I truly don't know, Ani," Pamola rasped. "I truly do not know."

`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`

"Ani? Ani, wake up! _God_, Ani, wake up!"

"Shut up, you thick haired freak," I muttered.

"Oh," I heard a curt sarcastic reply. "That hurts, Ani, that really does. _WAKE UP!_"

"Fine," I mumbled, and sat straight up, and right into a rock ceiling.

"Crap!" Craapp!" I screamed. Pamola hit me on the shoulder, telling me to shut up. I lied back down and then rolled over, then sat up, rubbing my slightly sore head. We gathered our packs and I climbed outside with Pamola.

"Look, you dolt," Pamola laughed.

I looked around. Just like yesterday, when I had looked and saw my home, today I saw no trace of District 5. Boulders? Gone. Animals? Nonexistant. Instead in its place were lines and lines of medicine. Or, that's what it looked like. Plants, OK? Lines and lines of plants.

Pamola looked up at the sun, then swore. "It's late," she said. "We're getting too comfortable. Gotta get moving, eh?"

"Moving?" I asked.

"Yep," she replied. "Moving out. Can't stay here forever, can we? Gotta end someday, right?"

I had a bad feeling inside those words.

I would have trouble killing Pamola, if I had to. If I did, I'd wait until we were bottom 2, 3 maybe. But the thing that worried me was that I knew that she could kill me. And that she would.

We trudged along the fields, and Pamola stopped at like every other line of plants and uprooted a bundle of whatever it was and stuffed it into a bag, tying it with the vine I had brought back. I had refused to give up my hair vines, and my belt vine.

Finally with our slow pace we reached the end of the brush desert, and we crawled along the bushes until there was nothing but open stretch left between us and the grove I had stayed in. My turned to each other, nodded, and I let Pamola take the bags, then climb up onto my back. Then I bolted.

Sure, I was fast, but I was much slower with a grown girl with three heavy packs on my back. We made it, no problem, but as I ran I saw something that made my heart leap with fear. A flash of red, followed by a flash of yellow.

We ran to our new location, a massive pine tree that would hide our stuff. I climbed up swiftly, and tied our stuff up in a secured place. Then I swung down, landing next to my ally.

"Wow, girl, you climb," Pamola laughed.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "So what now?"

"Now," Pamola strained her eyes in the direction of the Cornucopia. "We go raid."

"Raid?" I asked. Pamola was always suggesting things that suggested violence in itself.

"Mhm," Pamola replied. "The Cornucopia still has stuff in it. We need stuff. Your sleeping bag is still soaked, mine is too. We need some linens, and other things. You ready?"

I grabbed my crook from the base of the tree. "Ready," I exclaimed.

"Great."

Pamola peeked out from the trees. "I don't see anyone. Let's go."

We stalked out, slowly at first, and then we were full blown running toward the Cornucopia. We were almost there, we were going to do it! Yes, dry bedding here I come!

I was getting really sick off fights. Especially because I get hurt in every one. But hey, it's the Hunger Games! They're exciting, right? Ha ha, no.

I was tackled full on from my right side, and the wind was knocked out of me. I looked up and saw Julian standing over me. He smirked and punched me in the face, knocking me back.

Did everyone hate me?

The force of the strong guy's punch almost knocked me out. I hated my weakness. I was hazy, and I dropped my crook. I heard Pamola running toward me, and Julian grabbed me and started to drag me. I was coming back into focus now, and I whipped my leg up, catching Julian on the jaw. He let out a cry, and he brought down his elbow on top of my forehead, re-opening my wound. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt, but I saw red, probably my blood. I jumped up and bolted toward the grove. I needed to get back to the supplies. I couldn't see Pamola, heck I couldn't see anyone. I pushed trough the bushes, and tripped into a bush. I hit the ground hard, and I laid there for a few minutes, feeling my forehead. It had stopped bleeding again, but my cut was still sticky and bloody. Stupid inner workings.

I started to hear footsteps, and I positioned my self to jump up. It was either Pamola, or Julian, or the next unlucky bloke to die in these Games. I put my back flat, with my legs crouched. I was ready.

But I wasn't ready for the corpse that came toppling down on top of me.

I screamed and backed up, crawling backwards on my hands, the body still dragging on me. I collapsed and looked at the corpse.

I was face-to-face with a dead Harper form District 10, with a silver arrow though her neck.

I started to hyperventilate and desperately tried to push the bigger girl off of me. I slid out from under the body and stood up. I started to run away, but then thought better of it and turned back around, searching Harper for supplies. Sick, I know. But hey, she was dead. Wait was she? I turned back toward her face, and I heard the cannon.

Yep, she was.

The only thing she had on her was her bow and arrow. Pretty high quality. I left it, though, because I already had one. I started walking in the direction toward my tree, and when I turned the corner to see it I bumped right into Pamola.

"Hey!" Pamola growled. "Watch where you're goin', girl!"

"Sorry," I mumbled. I looked down at Pamola's hands, and in them she held a bow, and on her back was a quiver of silver arrows. She looked out of breath. Wait…"

"Did you just kill Harper?" The words just slipped out of my mouth. Pamola looked slightly shocked, slightly aggravated.

"Was that her name?" Pamola asked angrily, turning around and walking toward the tree.

"Yeah. Blond hair, red tips? Creepy?"

"Mhm, I killed her. The freak was a master with that bow, and I knewed you was in that bush there. I ran after I shot her, didn't know of she were dead or not."

"Thanks," I breathed.

"Welcome," Pamola furrowed her brows. "I have a grudge against that Julian now, though. He ran after you did, and I even checked the Cornucopia for some linens. None to be seen! I was right mad. Why did he want ta kill yous, anyway?"

"Two theories," I murmered, sliding down on the trunk of the tree. "Either he wants to get me, and you now too, from the water day, or he's allianced with Dustin.

"The dolt?"

"The very same."

"I have an idea."

"Lay it on me." I laughed.

"We have a stakeout at that Cornucopia. If we sees one of those dopes we attack, and we have no more problem."

I thought about that. "Just for tonight?" I asked.

"Sure thing," Pamola smirked. Gather some food. Let's go. I made sure I had my dagger, and Pamola gave me my crook, and I packed the crackers and applesauce with some jerky. We piled the stuff and headed back to the clearing.

"If we see that guy, man, he be dead before the cameras see it." Pamola grinned. It made me a bit uneasy how easily my ally could kill enimies.

We broke the clearing randomly and stalked across the field warily. I ran ahead, diving into a bush thicket amazingly close the front of the Cornucopia, about 30 feet. I set my stuff down and moved a rock into a stakeout position before Pamola had stumbled into the brush.

"Thanks for helping," Pamola muttered, slumping down on the ground, rubbing her bad leg.

"Sorry," I replied, not really meaning it. I opened up a tiny hole in the bush to look at the Cornucopia. It was already getting dark, and soon I was straining my eyes just to look at the giant horn, which hadn't moved in the last half hour. Pamola sat back on a rock, and handed me some jerky or crackers every now and again until it was pitch black, then she handed me something new. They were really dark glasses.

"What are these?" I asked.

"Prototypes of new dark vision glasses, or at least that's I call them. More like night vision. But anyway they use these in District 2, this is like a new model. They ain't that good but what the heck, eh?"

"Cool," I murmered, and slipped them on. Instantly I didn't have to strain my eyes. It wasn't like daytime, but now at the late hour I could at least _see_ Pamola next to me. I turned back to my stakeout.

"I'm gettin' some shut-eye, alright?"

"Okay Pamola. Wake you up in a couple hours, okay?"

"Right, kid. Night."

"Night."

I felt my eyes closing over the next hour. I munched on the same piece of jerky forever, silently staring at the unchanging scenery. Suddenly I saw something in the Cornucopia. The boxes, which Pamola said were mostly empty, were starting to move. The boxes fell to the ground, and I saw a face appear, and a body after that. Someone had been hiding in the Cornucopia! They stumbled to the ground, and as they stood up I saw who it was.

Cecil.

I stood up fast. I don't know why, but I did. I called out his name softly, and saw his head turn my way.

"Ani?" I heard.

"Cecil! I'm still alive! Come over here!"

"Ani? Okay. I'm coming."

I saw how skinny he was. Deathly skinny almost. He already didn't get a lot of food in District 6, but he must have not had a ton of food inside the huge horn.

"Over here, Cecil," I rasped.

"Ani?" Cecil asked me, still moving. He was about twenty yards away now. "Is Fliva de-"

Cecil didn't finish his sentence. "Pamola?" I said, then turned to Cecil and ran out from the bush. From behind Cecil I saw a flash of blond hair, and the personification of the devil stepped out from behind my friend, gripping the knife that pierced Cecil's heart. He smiled evilly and looked right at me.

"Hey, Razar. How's your blind boyfriend?" He looked to the smaller boy. "Hmm. Look's like something's wrong with him. Too bad." He ripped the knife out of Cecil's body, which slumped to the ground, and threw the knife right at me. I dodged it and saw Dustin running away, laughing. He broke into the forest and was gone.

I ran to Cecil, and looked at the poor boy's face. He was only thirteen. It wasn't fair. I pushed back his black hair and looked at his clouded but now lifeless eyes.

The cannon hit my heart like a bullet.

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**R.I.P. Cecil Yung. He was one of my favorites, even though I made him up...oh well review please! I think there's only going to be about 12-15 chapters in this story. :( but the chapters are kinda long. OK so thanks to those who have reviewed! Most of your characters are still alive, so thats awesome! Now only 9 left! duh duh duh!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow. Got back a bit faster this time, huh. But...1 review? I feel really sad right now. Cloudy-TheNightMareQueen, you were my only reviewer. For this I thank you. But PLEASE, if you read, just drop a little review down there! It can be "good" or "update" or "wow" or a long detailed thing about life it doesn't matter really but it makes me happy knowing you guys read. So anyway, let us begin where we left off, were the evil Dustin has just killed innocent blind Cecil Yung. boo. So yes, R&R! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the story, in the Hunger Games, or in anything that has been professionally published in, well, anywhere.**

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8.**

"Come on, kid," Pamola sighed, putting a hand on my shoulder. "He's gone. You can't bring him back."

"I should," I cried quietly. "He was almost to me. I could have saved him."

"No, girl, you couldn't have," Pamola snapped, kneeling down behind me. "Dustin-"

"Don't say his name," I hissed.

"Shut up. Dustin was watching. He's sly. He killed Cecil to get to you, and that's what he did. You have to get over it."

I wiped a tear from my eye. I was sitting next to Cecil's body, straightening his clothes, closing his eyes for the past six hours. I wasn't ready for the hovercraft to get him. I wanted his family to get him back knowing that at least one person in the Arena would not have killed their son. Their _blind_ son.

"You're right," I said, getting up. "District 6 needs their last tribute back." I placed my hand on Cecil's chest, then picked up my pack with the food in it and my crook, my weapons in my vine belt. I turned and walked away from Cecil, and from Pamola, toward the forest.

"Hey, wait!" Pamola called after me, gathering up her stuff. "Stop! What the hell? Ani!"

I kept walking. "Ani!" Pamola screamed, catching up with me, pulling my shoulder back so that I turned around. "Where the hell are you going?"

"To find him," I answered, and started walking. Pamola started limping after me, telling me to stop. I slowed down a tiny bit so that she could at least walk with me.

"You can't go after that feller, Ani!" she gasped.

"Why not?" I asked. "I am going to stop him, or die trying."

"That's what he wants!" Pamola exclaimed.

I stopped abruptly and turned around. "Then why don't I give it to him?" I asked. "I want to go home, Pamola, but I can't do that with him here. Frankly, I will probably never set foot in District 5 again, so why don't I take down the one person who enjoys killing people for a single reason to go home, which I have no idea what that sick reason is! He has to go, Pamola! He has to go! He has to go back to the Hell he slithered out of! He-has-to-die!"

"I understand," Pamola whispered. She suddenly seemed so small, not like a brutal Career at all, but a girl that had problems that she just broke down over. Pamola was three years older than me, yet I was taller. She was much stronger than me, but I was faster. She was much more clever than I was, but I had passion. And we both had determination. We both had the inner strength to carry through Cecil's death and take down Dustin.

I nodded to my ally and continued walking, this time at a slower pace. Pamola kept right up with me, and neither of us spoke. Pamola fingered her sword the whole way to the woods, and I held my dagger. I had left my crook at our temporary site: I didn't need it. I had hidden it so no one would steal it, but all I felt I needed to kill Dustin with was my dagger and my axe.

We had been walking in the woods for about three hours before Pamola stopped me. The day before the woods had been thick with trees, another example of Pamola's theory, but today it seemed the same as yesterday. It was supposed to be District 8 today, but so far nothing had appeared to show us that it was.

Pamola stood with a stiff back, then slowly turned around to look at something. I turned around too, and saw something I never thought I'd see. A little girl.

She must have been at least a few years younger than me, judging by her size. She had long curly gold hair down to her waist, and her blue eyes made her look like she had lost her daddy in the fields. But I knew this girl. Pamola didn't. This girl had killed nearly everyone in the bloodbath. She was a killing little machine. And oddly enough, she wasn't a Career.

"She's adorable," Pamola whispered in my ear.

"She's a monster," I whispered back.

"Can we help you?" Pamola asked the little girl.

"Yes, I think you can," the little girl answered. "My name is Vivie Cameron. I'm the District 3 tribute. My sister was Bree Cameron."

Pamola's eyes widened. She started to take a step back.

"Your people killed my sister. I have to kill you now."

Out of nowhere Vivie flashed a knife out from her hand, and it knocked Pamola on her shoulder, the blade catching her shirt. She fell back, and I pulled her up, running away from the killer 12-year-old.

"Run, Pamola!" I screamed, and started sprinting, only keeping Pamola with me by my grip on her wrist. Vivie was screaming, catching up with us, flinging knives at us. I caught sight of one flying past my head and hitting a tree. I ran faster. This girl was fast, crazy, and obviously trained.

"The District 2 tributes killed her sister three years ago," Pamola gasped, holding her arm while running. "She wants revenge. She's going to kill me."

"No she's not," I growled. I tightened my grip on her wrist, and jumped straight into a tree. I let go of Pamola and started to climb. I was a quarter way up when I looked back down at my friend. She wasn't behind me.

"Pamola, you idiot, climb!" I cried.

"I can't Ani." Pamola smiled at me. "It's time for me."

"No!" I screamed. "Climb, girl, climb!"

"Ani," Pamola was severely calm. "It's my time, but it's not yours. Kill that horrible devil, okay? And that Julian boy, too. Win this thing, Ani. I know you can."

"No, Pamola!" I wailed. "Come here! Climb!"

"Goodbye, Ani."

Pamola turned around just as an axe lodged inside her chest, and a cannon fired.

"Pamola!" I screamed in agony. I started to cry. My one ally in this game was gone, so soon after Cecil. And when I looked at my belt, I realized that it was my axe that had killed her.

Suddenly in the midst of my mourning Vivie leaped into the tree where I sat, and knocked me off balance. She had a knife in her hand. I fell backward off the branch and tumbled to the ground about ten feet below, landing with a thud on my back. I was dazed for a minute, then started to run again, although it hurt with every step. Vivie launched herself onto my back, making me fall.

"You were helping the 2," she hissed. "For that you must die."

"No!" I yelled, and tried to crawl forward. Vivie pinned me to the ground, and yanked my wrists back. I felt them being tied with vine, and then Vivie actually lifted me up onto her back!

"Stop!" I cried, and Vivie threw me off of her back. I prepared to fall on the ground, but instead I was pulled by my wrists upward. I was suspended only a few inches of the ground by her knife butt. Vivie smiled.

"Okay, Ani Razar, are you ready to die along with that Career scum?"

"You're the scum, Vivie," I growled. "You're worse."

"I am not!" Vivie screamed.

"You're a horrible little eight year old!" I scowled.

"I AM NOT EIGHT!" Vivie was shrieking now. "I am going to kill you, right now, 5! Right now! You are going to die in the hands of Vivienne Cameron! Me!"

I looked at her with a serious expression as she advanced, and I kicked her in the face, making her stumble back. Even before I started to flinch a giant hammer came down upon Vivie's skull, killing her instantly. I screamed. I had just wanted time to get away! It was Dustin, I knew it! Now _he_ was going to kill me!

It wasn't. Holding the war hammer was Squid.

"Ani!" he cried.

I screamed. I screamed loud. There was a boy with a hammer in front of me and I was in mid-air. I squirmed so much that the vines broke, and I started running again. My legs were starting to ache. I kept screaming. I was scared for my life. I heard Squid running after me, and I pushed the speed on harder. But I was beginning to slow. I tried to go faster, but the District 12 boy was catching up. I was crying and screaming as I ran, my whole being shaking with sobs as my legs moved like machinery. Suddenly Squid came up from behind me and encased me in a huge bear hug, lifting me off the ground. I screamed my head off, kicking my legs but not able to move my arms.

"SHUT UP ANI!" Squid yelled at the top of his lungs, shaking my body from side to side in his arms.

"YOU KILLED HER!" I screamed. "YOU KILLED HER WITH A FRIKIN' HAMMER! YOU CRUSHED HER SKULL!"

"I saved you Ani!" Squid yelled back, holding me still and tighter.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE SAVED!" I cried. "THEY'RE ALL DEAD! PAMOLA'S DEAD, CECIL'S DEAD! I DON'T WANT TO BE SAVED AGAIN!"

Squid squeezed me tighter, putting his head on top of mine. I kept crying.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE SAVED AGAIN! I don't…I don't want to be saved…"

"I know, Ani," Squid whispered. "I know."

My feet were dangling from the ground in his grasp, and as I gathered my wits I calmed down and looked at him. "Why aren't you going to kill me, Squid?"

"Because I can't." was his reply.

"You have to, if you want to win," I informed him. "So why not do it now?"

"Because I know that you could kill me I an instant if you needed to."

"I couldn't. I can't kill anyone. It's on luck I'm alive."

"That's not true."

"It is. So why can't you kill me, 12?"

"Because I'd be haunted for the rest of my life."

"And you're not going to be haunted by killing that twelve year old? Why is that?"

"Because she wasn't innocent."

There was a pause in time. I took a deep breath, then spoke again.

"Squid?"

"Yeah?"

"Put me down."

"Oh, right."

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"Squid?"

"Ani?"

"Put your shirt back on. You just went to fish."

"Fine."

It had been like this for the last day. It had been mid-day when Pamola had died. Now it was nighttime a day later, and apparently I had arranged myself in an alliance with Squid, or Conrad, as I called him occasionally to get him annoyed. Trust me, I never meant for this to happen. Not ever. Frankly I never attached to the guy, no matter how much he reminded me of Giles. I thought one of the Careers would kill him and I wouldn't have to do it. But now I was allianced with the guy. Near the side on the forest that intersected with the hills Squid had his little hideout, at the top of a ravine. In the ravine he caught fish to eat, plus the dry food he had. No, now we had.

After he had killed Vivie and caught me in the forest, Squid half took, half forced me back to his hideout, and basically just left me there. I could have left, I could have run away with my dagger and food and never looked back, but I didn't. I sat there on the grass in his little shelter and cried. I had done a lot of that lately. It wasn't so much that Pamola was dead, even though that made me upset. No, it was more of the fact that she had smiled as she died. That made me more upset than the fact that I would never talk to her again. And _that_ statement made me even more upset than the last, because it reminded me that I would never talk to my dad or all of my friends again. And I had nothing to do, so all my woes just leaked out.

I had stopped crying completely by the time Squid ducked back into the shelter. He smiled as he dropped three packs on the floor. One was my big black pack, the other two were Pamola's.

"Surprise!" He chuckled as he dropped them. "Brought your stuff. Had to sprint, mind you, to get to that grove."

"How did you know our stuff was there?" I asked him, not looking directly at his face.

"Saw you nearly get blown to pieces on the fourth day," Squid explained.

"Riighht," I muttered.

"And guess what I got you?" He said like a doctor talking to a two-year-old.

"What?" I replied, going along with the act.

"A present!" Squid pulled out my crook from behind his back. "A pointy present!"

I giggled slightly, but it was barely audible.

"I stabbed that 3 girl with it," He smirked. "Here you go!"

Squid tossed it toward me. I let it go over my head without attempting to catch it.

"Come on, I was kidding!" Squid whined, plopping down beside me. I didn't look at him, except for out of the corner of my eye. "She's gone! I just wanted to make you laugh, Ani."

"You don't know me," I whispered. "What's my last name?"

"Razar."

"District?"

"5, duh!"

"Area?"

"Hub, heard you say it in your reaping. Whatever a 'hub' is."

"District Partner?"

"Dustin."

"Job?"

"Ram herder."

"Boyfriend?"

Squid took a breath, then stopped, and looked at me. I looked in his eyes with tears brimming my lids.

"Didn't know you had one."

All I wanted to do was laugh really hard and walk out of there joking with Squid, and then we'd exit some set and go home for the day. That wasn't about to happen.

"I guess I don't," I whispered. "Now that I'll never go home."

"Don't say that!" Squid insisted.

I shot him a long look. "Do you want to die, Squid?" I asked him.

"Of course not!" Squid replied. "What kind of question is that?"

"Do you want me to die?"

"No! I don't want anyone to die!"

"Will you kill me to go home?"

"I…I…" he stuttered.

"If it was the bottom two, and it would be as simple as slitting my throat as I was sleeping, would you, Squid, kill me to go home?"

"I can't answer…what?"

"No matter how it was done, would you kill me to go back to District 12?"

"Ani!" Squid said sternly. He wanted me to stop. I wasn't ready to.

"Would you murder me? Cut me, throw me off a cliff, drown me, electrocute me, stab me, starve me, suffocate me, slit my throat, puncture me, shoot me, crush me, beat me, whack me, hit me with your giant war hammer until I-"

"Shut up!" Squid cried, covering his ear swith his palms. "No, okay? No, I wouldn't! Couldn't! Stop!"

I placed my hands on my hips. "Why not?"

"I answered this question when you were running away screaming from me Ani!"

"Why…not?" I asked again slowly and forcefully.

"Because I like you," he said, turning his head outside.

"How old are you Squid?"

"Fifteen, almost sixteen."

"Okay." I replied, and stopped talking.

After a couple of minutes Squid turned back to me and said, "What? You ask my age and then shut up? Talk about rude." He had a rude and mean tinge to his voice as well.

I blinked at him, and he softened a little. I didn't know if I could kill him, either.

That night Squid disappeared for a little while, and came back with a pot that was in Pamola's bag filled with water.

"Roll up your sleeves," he told me, and I obliged, a bit confused. He sat next to me and made a pained sound everytime he saw one of my new battle scars. He then pushed my hair back from my forehead and left his hand on my head, looking at the scar there. He looked like it hurt him to see bloody cuts, even if they weren't his.

He took a few leaves and moss and put them in the water. Then Squid would take out a leaf, wipe one of my nasties, as Pamola would call them, press it with the wet moss, then wipe it again, drying it with his own sleeve. He repeated this for all four cuts I had. Each one hurt. Bad. But then he just pulled down my sleeves, and exited the shelter to dump out the water. He didn't talk to me a lot that night. But the next day he felt as if walking around preparing fish to eat without a shirt on was perfectly normal with a fourteen-year-old girl scaling the fish right next to him. I was sure it was for the cameras. After the third time I told him to put his shirt back on, he did, and we ate our newly cooked fish inside the shelter, our weapons right by our hands, just in case.

I settled down in my still damp sleeping bag and looked at Squid looking out at the stars, keeping watch. I smiled weakly and said goodnight. He replied without a glance, and I drifted into a sleep was, dare I say it, peaceful.

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**:'( wah. RIP Pamola Dirnt. Slightly R.I.P Vivie Cameron. To Cloudy-TheNightMareQueen, Layla is still alive and in the game. To dancegurl, who's name i think is now Little Miss Dancerina?, sorry about Vivie I pulled out her adorable and murderous side in this story thanks you so much for her character and Julian is still out there! To thehappypursuit-182, i loved Pamola but when I drew the outline it was her time to go. Believe me, I didn't expect it to come so soon! And to dracocrazy322, i kind of OCCed Squid a bit, i just realized, but i tried to keep him within character. THANKS! REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here it is! It was so hard to write this chapter, I don't know why. The classic case of Writer's Block, I guess. Anyway please enjoy the chapter. As much as it might not seem, it's a...a...dare I say it...filler. Even though one of the most historic events is witnessed in these Games, it's a filler. Please enjoy and R&R!**

**Disclaimer-I do not own anything that relates to the Hunger Games. ANYTHING.**

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**9.**

I woke up with a start, breathing very heavily. I bent over, eyes wide, and tried to calm down. I was making noise, my breath very raspy. Squid was suddenly by my side, hand on my shoulder.

"Ani? Are you all right? Ani? Answer me now!"

All I could do was nod my head. I couldn't remember, no, I couldn't remember what I was so riled up about. Something about a rock…and Vivie…and Squid…and someone I didn't recognize. I felt like I was going to puke. I stood up and pushed past Squid into the rain and tossed all of my cookies next to a tree.

I heard Squid swear as he came out after me and embraced me, trying to pull me back toward the shelter. I shook my head and grabbed my crook and dagger, turning toward the rest of the forest.

"Ani, stop. You're sick! Get back in there! ANI!"

"Shut up," I yelled, and continued walking in the direction of the hills. I heard him swear yet again as he grabbed his pack and weapon and caught up with me.

"Where are you going?" He asked me. I grunted.

"Why?" I grunted in response again.

"Come on, Ani, stay here, you just threw up!"

"Out of shock," I said blankly. "I have to see something."

"Then will you come back with me?"

"Sure, whatever you want."

Squid was finally halfway satisfied and followed me silently as I jogged through the forest, heading toward the hills. I hadn't talked to Squid about Pamola's theory yet, but I had been counting the days in the Arena. It was the eleventh day. Weird, right? Felt like either two hours or an eternity. But, if Pamola had been right…

She was. I broke out of the forest and saw nothing at first. I stopped in my tracks and heard Squid ask me what the hell was going on. I shushed him and stared at the sky, and then heard an aggravated shout from behind me. I whipped around to see Squid rubbing the top of his head, a golden box in his hands.

"What the hell?" he growled. "Random box from the sky much?"

I smiled and turned back around, looking at the fields. A ton of random little boxes from the sky were falling, hitting the ground hard. And it was like eureka for me. District 10, foreign item trading? Check.

Squid opened his gold box and pulled out a small vile with a pink-ish liquid in it. He held it up to his eye, then sniffed it, even though it was shut. He rapped it gently on his knuckles, then eyed it again. Then he held it in front of him, and I rolled my eyes as I grabbed it from him. I popped off the cork and held it up to my mouth.

"Ani?" Squid asked very sternly. "You don't know what's in there-Ani!"

Too late. I drowned the drink in one gulp. It tasted sweet but bitter at the same time, with a tangy aftertaste. I licked my lips and shook my head rapidly before looking at Squid's horrified face.

"We can go now," I chuckled, pushing past him into the forest.

"You, what, hey!" Squid hissed, running after me. "You're an idiot! That drink might as well have been poison! You could die!"

"It tasted good," I murmered. "And anyway, it doesn't matter. It's not probable that either of us are leaving this place."

"I keep telling you not to think that-"

"Shush," I snapped, slamming my palm against his chest. I stood stock still, listening to the forest. "Go," I whispered.

"What?"

"Run you idiot, run!"

I started sprinting through the forest, running from who knows what. Squid was right on my heels. I knew someone was stalking us, but I didn't know who. But I could have two guesses.

"Ani?" Squid yelled between gasps.

"Yeah!"

"Are we gonna make it?"

I tumbled over a log. "Just keep running!" I screamed.

I broke into the clearing of the ravine quickly. I stopped abruptly, listening again. Nothing. No stalker…no Squid.

I heard a breath as I whipped around, seeing the cliff side on my right, and spun to see Squid…with a knife to his throat.

"Ani?" He croaked. I just stared at him, eyes wide. Behind him, holding the knife? You guessed it. The devil.

"You're quite the player, aren't you?" he chuckled. "In more ways than one." He flickered his eyes toward Squid. He was shorter than Squid, but not by much, so his knees were bent. I prayed for him to be smart and kick Dustin, but he didn't. I guess fear will do that to you.

"Let him go." I ordered, my voice wavering. "It's me you want, Dustin, it's been me all along. You've killed all my allies in this game, but I'm still here." Squid's eyes widened dramatically. "I am still alive. So take me out first, but save him for tomorrow, or even later today, because you know it's me you want. It's me you need to kill."

Dustin smiled evilly. "You're right, Ani." Suddenly he took his knife butt and slammed it on the side of Squid's head, and then sent the body of my ally tumbling over the side of the ravine. "SQUID!" I screamed. I blinked back tears and turned back to Dustin, who was charging right at me.

"Aghhh!" Dustin shrieked as he caught me on my stomach, sending us both into a tree with a large thud. I kneed his chest and pushed Dustin off of me, half running half crawling away from my evil District Partner. He regained his wits and charged at me again, pinning me to the ground.

I wasn't going to let this kid kill me. Not now. I was in the final seven. I had never expected to live this long. And I was not going to let the chase of the Games end with Dustin a victor, and me another body bag. He licked his lips manically as he stared down at me. I stared right back for a second, and then spit right in his eye. He cried out in shock and I slid out from underneath him again, standing now. He ran at me and I drove my elbow into his jaw, sending his sprawling backwards again. He gave me a venomous look of pure hatred.

"You little b****!" He spat. He threw one of his knives, and I dodged it, but was immediately hit with his fist on my left cheek. I grabbed my crook but Dustin kicked me in the chest, which threw my crook out of its hold and across the ground. I hit the tree with my back and dodged several punches thrown by my nemesis. He whipped up my crook and tried to club me with the hook. I blocked it with my forearms, and wailed in pain. I now kicked him and ripped my crook back into my right hand.

"Why do you want to kill me so badly?" I gasped. He thrust his knife, and I returned with a punch to the stomach.

"Because you stole my glory!" Dustin shouted. We backed off for a split second, sending each other daggers with our eyes. "Here and back home! You always stole the glory!"

"Is this what it is to you?" I asked angrily, gesturing the Arena. "Glory?"

"That is what everything is!" Dustin screamed. "And you stole it! The only girl herder, it doesn't matter if she's weak! The fastest runner, it doesn't matter how hard she works! The most venerable, although they only feel bad for you! You get pity! You know what the rest of us get? Nothing! No feeling! No glory!"

"You're a lunatic!" I gasped. "None of that is true! I work just as hard and get no pity! You're delusional to think so! You're just…jealous! You're jealousy has led you to homicide, Dustin! I remember when we were little, and you wouldn't hurt a fly! What happened, Dustin?"

"You happened!" Tears of anger were streaming out of his eyes. "You stole everything! EVERYTHING! And now I can take back that glory, Ani! Ten fold! I can kill you, and take back my life! I'm going to kill you, and win these horrid Games! I will be respected, and feared by all of Panem! One of the youngest victors ever!"

"What's better, Dustin?" I asked softly. "To be feared, or to be genuinely liked?"

Dustin scrunched his face in fury. "DIE!" He roared, coming at me again. I screamed in fear, but my muscles acted. Thoughts flashed through my mind, but then it all became scarily clear. He ran at me, and I swung my crook, unsheathing my dagger. Dustin held out his own, his mouth open wide in a battle cry. Everything was in slow motion.

My life didn't flash before my eyes. Quite the opposite. My thoughts weren't clouded with my life and my memories. Only what was happening now. The hook of my crook wrapped around the outside of Dustin's waist. My dagger rested at my waist. Dustin's arm was stretched out as far as it could, his dagger like an extension of his dangerous hand. My arms were longer. I pulled tightly with my right hand, tugging Dustin toward me involuntarily. His arm fell to his side.

And my dagger entered his abdomen.

I stared at Dustin's shocked eyes for a half a second. "I kept my promise," I hissed. I ripped my dagger out of his stomach, and let his body fall to the ground as I heard the cannon. I dropped both my weapons. It was done. He was dead. He couldn't kill me anymore.

Dustin was dead.

I looked at his limp body. His jealousy had turned him insane. I actually almost felt bad for him. But then I remembered everything he had done. I had told him that the nest time he fought me that I would kill him. I kept my promise.

I slid my weapons to my belt and then turned and ran to the edge of the ravine. I peered over the side to see Squid with his back against the opposite side, holding his head in agony.

"Squid?" I called. He looked back up me in a daze. "I'm coming to get you!" I yelled. He just stared at me, and then lowered his head again.

I found a less steep way down to my ally and climbed down as fast as I could. When I reached Squid, he seemed totally out of it. I hooked his arms around my shoulders and lifted him with great difficulty. It nearly murdered me to carry my inane ally up the side of the cliff. I accidently dropped Squid when I reached the top as I fell to my knees, and I heard him groan a small "Oww…"

"Sorry, sorry," I muttered, and hoisted him up again piggy-pack style, though his feet trailed on the ground.

I didn't even look at the hovercar that was picking Dustin's lifeless body off the ground.

"Okay, Conrad Kells, you're gonna be okay," I said soothingly as we reached the shelter. I sat down as softly as I could, and laid backward, so that he was lying down. I stuffed a couple empty backpacks under his head, and then sat right next to him, stroking the lump on his head. It was pretty big from Dustin's hit, and only the rest of him was a bit beat up from the fall. It was only just as bad as I was from my fight.

"He's gone," I whispered to him. "The bad guy's gone, Squid. Only six more. Six more." I was talking so sweetly, a voice I hadn't used in a while. I smoothed out his hair, and smiled. Then he opened his eyes a crack with his signature smirk.

"I like it when you're nice." He chuckled, and then closed his eyes again.

I went back down to the ravine to get some cold water in Pamola's pot. It was only when I placed the wet moss on Squid's head I realized that there were seven other individuals in the Arena. But not to me, as I sat beside my friend. To me, there was only six.

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**O.o O...M...G! Dustin's dead! :/ well some of you ought to be happy. Please please review it makes me write faster even though it's almost Halloween! I'll probably post the next chapter on Halloween just to be special. So ya Review! I'd like to thank dracocrazy322 for the short but nice review, Cloudy-TheNightMareQueen-yes it was like a horror movie I thought so when I read the chapter over myself, and those who added this story to their favorites! you guys rock!**


	10. Chapter 10

**ok so im a bit late, and i apologize. I totally didn't update on Halloween like I wanted to, but what can I say? it was busy, and for the past weeks life got in the way of everything. I've been in reading mode recently, but i guess everyone is right now, cause there have been no updates on anything in any category for forever, so I decided to break the ice covering the gap and update. I would like to thank dracocray322 and PrideIsArrogance for reviewing, and I plz ask you to read and review. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I don't even own the name Ani. wow.**

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10.**

"Ani?" A soft voice asked me. "Wake up, okay?" It sounded scared. "You need to wake up now."

I opened my eyes drowsily. "No." I answered curtly and quite childishly.

"Come on," the voice insisted, although it sounded relieved.

I opened my eyes fully. Squid was above me. It was still dark out. How long had I been sleeping? Two hours? Two minutes?

"You've been asleep for the whole day," Squid informed me, his voice shaking.

Oh.

"The whole day?" I asked, sitting up. I placed my hand behind to prop myself up, because my body did _not_ want to get up.

"Yeah," Squid answered. "I woke up this morning and you were out. My head actually didn't hurt too bad. Did you…carry me all the way from the ravine?"

I smiled softly. "Yep."

"And…Dustin?"

The smile fell off my face. "Dead," I said emotionlessly. I looked around, and saw that everything except the shelter was packed into the backpacks. I jumped up onto my feet. I had my game back on.

Apparently I was lied to, because as soon as I stood my legs deceived me and I tumbled back onto the ground. "Whoa," Squid gasped, and propped me up again.

"I think there was something in that vile," I exclaimed stupidly.

"No doubt," he answered. "Probably some kind of sleep syrup." He laid me down again, but stubbornly I made myself sit up. Squid had dumped everything that we didn't possibly need and stuffed the rest into one huge pack, with both of the sleeping bags rolled on top. He slipped on the pack, and hooked my crook and all the other weapons onto the outside in easy reach, except for my dagger, which was still in my belt.

"I want my pj's," I muttered. "Sleeping in clothes isn't very comfy."

Squid laughed. "Most people in my part of the District don't even have pajamas."

I stared at him, and he broke a smile. "Don't worry about it."

"Let me take something," I said, gesturing to the pack.

"No way," Squid replied. "It's nighttime, and plus, you can't even stand. If anything, I'm taking you!" Squid laughed as he picked me right up from the ground, both of his arms hooked underneath my knees and my back. I screamed softly in surprise and tried to object and squirm, but Squid just laughed and held me tight.

"Let me go," I pouted, crossing my arms.

"Nope," Squid responded, starting to walk. "You're like, super light. I'm guessing, like, seventy pounds?"

"Almost a hundred," I informed snottily. "I'm sick of people carrying me. Twice I was unconscious."

"Well now you're awake," Squid told me. "And it isn't against your will this time. Plus, you carried _me_ yesterday. I'm like half a foot taller than you, and at least thirty pounds heavier."

"I doubt that," I said, looking up at his face. "You're a twig."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"No way." He bit his lip.

"Put me down."

"Nope."

I sighed dramatically, entering a spazmatic attack as I tried to get out of Squid's grasp again. He just held me tighter. Really, I hated it to hell, but I couldn't actually walk, let alone run if we needed to, so I slumped down once more. "You're head was banged up pretty good yesterday," I remarked.

"I feel better."

"Bull."

"No!" He hissed.

"Let me see your head." I ordered.

"Isn't that a bit rushed?" Squid said sarcastically. "I mean, we're still on trying not to kill each other, Ani. You're still resisting on me carrying you. Now you suddenly want to feel my _head_?"

"Shut up!" I spat mockingly.

"It's a big deal in our relationship," Squid insisted. "I mean, after my head you'll wanna be touching my _hand_, and…Ani you're only fourteen!" He started to laugh. I gave him a glare.

"Kidding, kidding," Squid frowned slightly and looked up.

"I didn't mean to be mean," I told him. He made a small grunting noise as he sped up a bit. I was severly uncomfortable. I started bumping and i could now move my legs more freely so I started to kick. Bad idea. Squid wouldn't stop jogging, and as I kicked my foot twisted as it hit a tree branch. I held my foot down, but then Squid took a sharp turn around a rock and banged my head on a very hard tree trunk. I could have sworn I saw stars.

"Crap, Squid!" I screamed, my eyes swirling. He didn't answer me. I kept screaming. It _hurt_! "PUT! ME! DOWN!" I screamed loudly. Squid swore. He liked swearing.

"Shut up!" He yelled, stopping at a collection of three boulders squished like an unfinished square. "Shut the hell up you retarded girl! You're going to get us killed! Shut up!"

I stopped abruptly, furrowing my brows in anger. I reached up and smacked Squid on the side of the face, leaving a red mark on his cheek. Squid yelped and grinded his teeth in fury. He climbed on one of the boulders, and then just dropped me from his arms onto the hard packed dirt at least six feet below.

I landed hard on my back, and my neck whipped upward. The wind was not knocked, but smashed out of me as I lay there in pain, looking at the sky, not moving or breathing, even. I didn't think I could've breathed if I wanted to. I must have looked that way for a while, because Squid turned his expression from angered, to confused, to a bit perplexed, to finally down right concerned. He leapt off the boulder onto a smaller one, and then onto a ground beside me.

"Ani?" He asked frantically. "Ani?" Squid knelt down and lowered his ear to my mouth. I was in a daze, and my chest was still in a lock. I didn't breathe into my so-called-ally's ear.

"Oh no," Squid whispered. "Oh no, no, no, no! Crap. No, no, no! Shit!"

I didn't move. I knew I could breathe, but for some reason I didn't feel the need to take a huge gulp of air.

And then I heard the cannon.

I wasn't dead. I knew I wasn't. I could still hear Squid let out his string of swears. But he totally thought I was.

"What? No! Shit! No! Ani, wake up! You're not dead! Wake up!" He grabbed my shoulders, lifting me up into his arms. It was a bit awkward. Why was I so okay with not breathing?

I swear I saw tears coming out of Squid's eyes. "No…no! I just…I was just angry, I didn't mean to…no…" Squid looked right at me, and reached out and placed his fingers on my eyelids, pulling them down. I let him. I don't know why. Maybe I wanted to see how far this would go. "I hit her head, and she just wanted to get down…and I threw her! Conrad, you knew she wasn't well, she couldn't even walk! You're a monster. Conrad, you really messed this up. She was the only…shit you messed this up…oh my God…no."

He pulled my body up to him. I smirked as I took a breath through my nose. Squid really cared about me. I wondered why. And if I wasn't dead, which I knew I wasn't, who was?

"Squid?" I rasped with a smile on my lips in his ear. He jumped in surprise, and held my shoulders out. I smirked slightly, my back hurting a ton. "I'm not dead."

Squid let out a sigh, and then raised his brows, and then shook his head, laughing at me. "Wha- you…you aren't? Holy crap Ani you scared me to hell! The cannon, I heard it! You weren't breathing, either. Oh, shit, Ani! Why would you do that to me? Wha-oh my God I saw you die!"

"I'm not dead, as far as I can tell," I replied. "Conrad, put me down now. I really mean it."

Squid let go of me, and I crawled a few feet away from him. "I'm never going to do that again." He told me, when I wasn't looking at him.

"What?" I asked gruffly. "Go against my wishes, throw me, or be so stupid to think someone was dead after a six foot fall?"

"Hurt you," He said.

I looked at him. He looked like he was going to cry again.

"It would have been easier for you," I reminded him. "You could go home, you know, after all the other people bludger each other."

"No, it wouldn't have." Squid whispered. I didn't press him.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered. "Are you hurt?"

"No," I perked curtly. "But I'm still mad at you."

"So you should be," Squid encouraged, standing on his knees. "I…I have, anger issues sometimes. I act so rashly, and…I end up hurting people."

Another thing to add to the ever growing list of what was wrong with the tributes of these Games, Ani.

"That's not true," I told him, looking right in his eye. "You know it."

"But it is," Conrad spat, angry at himself. "I thought I was doing so well, with Layla at the Cornucopia, but-"

My face grew pale. "Layla?" I asked him. "Where did you see her? Did she attack you? Is that why we had to leave?"

"No," Squid confirmed. "Now we could go back, but I don't recommend it, not until we see the faces tonight. That cannon proved it."

"Who died? Was it Layla? Julian? Who? I don't know anything right now, Squid!"

"Are you sure you aren't dead?" He asked me. "You look pretty in pain right now."

"Oh yeah," I scoffed. "I'm a ghost! Who died, Squid?"

"Layla," Squid rasped. "And with any luck, Katya Grimwold."

I saw the pain in his eyes. "Tell me," I ordered, coming closer, just a bit. "Tell me now, Conrad."

Squid looked at me seriously, a bit off guard with my own sternness. "I was stupid. I woke up with a serious migrane, but it went away with the shock when you wouldn't wake up. You were breathing, so you weren't dead or anything, but I was scared. You had said something special happened each day to yourself, and whatever was in all of those golden devil boxes I sure wasn't familiar with. I thought that if I found one of them, whatever was in it would wake you up, or something."

I raised an eyebrow at Squid. He scoffed, looking up toward the trees. When I bent my arm to rub my back, he winced harshly, as if he was the one in pain.

"I ran all the way to the Cornocopia cause I thought them boxes would still be lying around. Instead, there was nothing boxy anywhere. There were four big trees surrounding the horn instead. They were all leafy and branchy, and there were fruits I had never seen before on them. One had bright green skin, another yellow and green stripes, a fruit that was small and pink, and the last had blood red vines with a blue berry. I didn't get it. All of the boxes were gone. There had been like a million of the things! But then I saw her."

Squid paused and looked at me, as if he wanted me to say something, but I just sat there and stared right back at him. He continued.

"Layla, the 4 girl, sharky, whatever you want to call her, sprinted toward the trees. She picked two of each of those weirdo fruits and just sat there, right at the base of the tree. I guess I had woken up late, cause by this time the sun was actually setting. Layla just sat herself down and took out her knife and started cutting. Blood like stuff came outta one and she was cutting the second one when that small girly with mental issues came crawling out of one of the trees like a ninja."

"Ninja?" I asked, confused.

"Never mind. She crawled right up behind sharky girl, and wrapped her hands right around her throat and squeezed like there was no tomorrow. Looking at it now, there is no tomorrow for her. Sad. Well sharka took her knife and thrust the thing into Katya's arm, and it went right on through her veins and stuff, but she did not care, the little freak. She kept on squeezing and kicking the older gal and finally Layla just stopped kicking around and I heard her cannon. Horrible way to die, I say. But then the insane little girl started laughing like a retarded maniac and screaming like "Kill me now! Kill me now! You can't kill me anymore, cause I'm not a pawn in your game! I will never be!" and then grabbed the green fruit and took a huge bite of it, and then just stood there. I didn't want to meet the same fate as sharky, so I held my breath and waited. Suddenly she just started twitching and trashing around, falling and screaming all over the place. I ran away back here, because I didn't want to see it. She saw me, though, and yelled "12! Twelve shall die! Die!" and I was totally creeped out. I grabbed our stuff and woke you up cause I thought she might follow me. But now we're okay."

"So…" I was in a bit of shock. "Layla and Katya are…dead?"

"Yep," Squid bit his lip, then looked at me. "Final Four baby!"

I laughed loudly in astonishment and happiness. Squid grabbed me in a hug, and however awkward and a bit wrong, I buried my head in his shoulder.

"I want to go home."

"We will."

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**SOO...this wasn't the best chapter...but tell me what you think. It was meant to show Squid's feeling's for Ani and get closer to the end. Only a few chapters are left! **

**R.I.P Layla O'Shea and Katya Grimwold. You were valiant and able players. Sorry, but it was their time to go. Cloudy-TheNightMareQueen, I loved your character and I hope you continue to read the story even though your excellent character has met an untimely death. Ravenswrath, thank you for submitting your insane little tribute.**

**Review Please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Alright, a bit shorter chapter, I think. More like a whole (kind of sappy) emotional filler...:/ i promise, total all-out action in the next chapter! But remember, reviews make we write faster, especially since we're nearing the end! Speaking of I'd like to thank PrideIsArrogance, dracocrazy322 and Sabs97 for reviewing! So enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothing, come on, don't sue...but seriously i don't own the Hunger Games.**

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11.**

"The Arena changes.

"It changes everyday, representing all of us. All of us from every district, choosing our strengths, picking out our weaknesses. Making it so we react, and that we die from either or lack of knowledge, or pure arrogance and stupidity. Everyone thinks that, as they move, whether hunting or running away, that they've reached a different part of the Arena, unique in its own homicidal way, and that for once they've struck lucky. For once the Gamemakers are leaving them alone. They're wrong. The Gamemakers have interfered in this Game than any other Game in the thirty-seven years they've existed. They've been watching us. They think we're oblivious. I know better. Pamola Dirnt knew better.

"District One. Nothing can go wrong, only luxuries and perfect almost-Capitol life exists. Except for one thing. The Hunger Games and the brutal training that separates the pretties from the bloodlust murderers. Chests of the nicest and best material known to the twelve districts hides hidden indulgences that leads you to being the best of everyone here. District Two. Harsh training, either as a merciless Career or a non-emotional Peacekeeper, with weapons built and materials carved out in a quarry. Rocks and boulders show the struggle everyone takes and the expectations given, along with the consequences of being as strong and tall as a mountain. District Three. Possibly the most clever and wise district, stuck in the middle of two impressive districts and as resentful as a middle child with two perfect siblings. What they lack in brawn they make up for in brain. Bombs go off on land to destroy the quarry of their older sibling and electricity in the lake to kill their younger. District Four. The more seemingly care-free district, a show to the Capitol, their skill in swimming which none other harness, their naturally beautiful people that are not just a pretty face, killing ruthlessly like the sharks in the sea. They showed their power by ruling out any domain except for their own. District Five. My home. As vunerable as the cattle the care for, as swift as the rams, as strong as the boars, and as witty and dangerous as the hawks that soar above the skies. Showing its beauty and helpfulness with the wild animals, and its danger with the rattlesnakes and bobcats that roamed. District 6. The experiment district. Clinical testing and medicine where smarts are the only thing people can boast about. Medicine, some recgonizable and helpful, some not. District 7. Lumber, where pure strength but no skill is usually held, and trees loom over more than houses. Axes and forests to get lost in were given. District 8. The hard-working slaves that make the clothing on our backs and the sheets that line our beds, objected to but not oblivious to the horrors that surround us like their products. District 9. The most naturally skillful but equally arrogant district, hunting and killing animals and using their resources to continue the chain that works our sorry world. District 10. Possibly the most unstable, scaring others outside of its reach with their genetically mutated experiments and foreign objects and imports that no others get to witness. They shared their genius with the Arena, and became the downfall of some. District 11. Only those from the district can know the dangers of the fruits and food that are shipped across our world and is the supply of life in the districts. The unknown effects is the deadly result. District 12. Coal mining and the poorest district, effect on the Arena unknown."

"Wow." Squid gasped.

"Yeah," I replied. "It's happening."

"It's going to get light soon," Squid remarked, looking up at the dark sky. "Come on, 12. Bring me home."

"Squid?"

"Mhm…"

"What's going to happen after District 12, day thirteen, is gone?"

"I don't know. Maybe it'll just start all over."

"That's stupid."

He nodded. "But have you ever known the Gamemakers to be stupid?"

I shook my head slowly. "No. No I haven't. No one has."

"Dawn," Squid begged randomly. "A half an hour. Dawn. Come on. Come on."

I looked at him begging at the sky for another fifteen minutes before he jumped up, pulling on the pack. I grabbed my crook and followed him, confused as we hurtled through the forest, Squid looking up at the sky the whole time. When we broke out into the fields we kept running, and we gradually jogged to a stop on top of one of the largest hills overlooking the Arena. I could see everything, the hill was so high and steep. The lake, the grove, the brush, forest, even the bush near the Cornocopia I hid in with Pamola. Everything. I wondered if that was what the Gamemakers felt like, imposing in our lives in the most dreadful way.

"No," Squid choked.

"What?" I asked. Was it the slight altitude, or was I having trouble breathing?

"No dawn," he answered. My sight was getting worse now. What was going on? "No light."

"Squid, what does this have to do with District 12?" I coughed. I tried breathing in, but whatever ws in the air made me gag and start choking and coughing again. I could hear Squid cough beside me, but whatever we were breathing in, he was more used to it than I was. Blackness started surrounding me in a cloud, cutting off my vision, leaving me unable to breathe. I could just see everything. Now I couldn't see _anything_. I looked to my left, but I couldn't even see my friend three feet away from me.

"Squid?" I asked, wheezing dreadfully as pain overtook my lungs. "Conrad?" I coughed again, bending over. "What's…happening to me…Con…"

"Ani!" Sqiud exclaimed with a cough as I sunk to my knees. "Stop talking. We have to go…no more light. It's going to kill you."

"Where are we, Squi-" I broke into another coughing fit, croaking my words out. Why did it hurt so bad?

"In the mines." Squid answered fearfully. "I'll be fine, but Ani, we gotta get you back."

He helped me up, but my lungs were too painful to move. "Squid, I can't…"

"You're breathing in coal dust, Ani!" Squid tugged at my suddenly heavy body. "You're going to die, come on!"

"No," I gasped. "I…I can't…"

My head snapped back as I took in a full breath of coal dust. Why? Because someone tackled me from behind, sending me (and them, mind you) tumbling full out down the steep side of the hill toward the rocky hills below.

"ANI!" Squid screamed, running down behind us. But he had to dodge and slow down at the rocks and steep points. Me and my attacker? Nah, we just took a nice rapid tumble down the craggy hillside, while the person I was falling with was trying to kill me.

"Die, 5!" The person shrieked. Yeah, it was a girl. Wait, there were girls? I thought it was just me after Layla and Katya died! I did a turbo check through my brain, while dodging thrusts from a knife and hitting my body on rocks. Who else was there in the area that was alive? Squid, me, Julian…

District 12.

Alyssia Night. Eighteen years old. This close to being free of the Hunger Games. District Partner to Conrad Kells. Totally bent on mashing my brains out.

"No!" I screamed. I pulled out my dagger, but my hand bashed against a boulder, sending it flying out of my hand, only just cutting Alyssia's face.

"I'm going to kill you!" She hissed, trying to strike me. None of us succeeded on hurting one another. Flying down a hill at high speeds makes your aim a bit funny.

"You can't hurt him!" The psycho screeched. "I'm going to kill you first!"

Suddenly my back wrenched and I grunted, soaring over Alyssia onto the ground at the bottom of the hill. But she got right back up and charged me. I caught her in the stomach with my legs and sent her over my head, but her nail clawed at my face, drawing blood. I punched her. She punched me. I kicked her away and tried to run, but she caught my back and sent me down to the ground again.

"Squid!" I called out his name, wanting him desperately just to come and save me from this girl.

"That's not his name!" Alyssia bawled, punching me in the face. "You don't deserve him! You're going to kill him, aren't you, you little slut! You're gonna kill him!"

She raised her knife, but I dared not close my eyes. Good thing, too, because Alyssia was lifted right off of me by the neck, her knife wrenched out of her hand.

"No she's not," Squid growled, holding his district partner by the throat. "You're not going to kill her, either."

The girl screamed, coughed, and gagged at the same time, trying to get free.

"I'm sorry, Lyss," Squid whispered, and stuck her own knife into her heart, dropping his partner in shame as he heard the cannon, and started crying. My ally sunk to his knees in emotional defeat, and I crawled painfully over to him, resting my head on his slumped shoulder.

"I just…" Squid stammered. "I just killed Lyss. My district partner. My friend. For you."

I stared at him with remorse and shock, not sure what to say. "I'm sorry, Squid. I am."

"Is that all you can say?" Squid shouted in anger, whipping my arms and head off of him as he stood up abruptly, knocking me back. "Is that _all_ you can say, Ani? I'm sorry! I'm sorry that you killed your friend in an act for someone you just realized you don't even know! Someone you thought you liked! Squid, I'm _sorry_ these bloody Games chose us to die a painful death for stupid airheads' entertainment! Squid, I'm sorry I can't feel anything other than remorse or anger because I made petty little friends that died at the hands of a lunatic, even though everyone has lost something, _everyone_ who died here lost something! You know what they lost, Ani? Their lives! Their confounded lives! Some for you, Ani, and all you do is say _sorry!_ I'm sorry, Squid," he spat. "That's not even my blasted name, can't you see? My name is Conrad, _she_ got that! Conrad cursed Kells! Not Squid, not anything else!"

"I…" I stuttered. "I…"

"You're sorry," Squid snapped. "You always are. Why the _hell_ did I kill Lyss for you? Tell me Ani! TELL ME!"

"I don't know!" I cried, fearful tears running down my face. I backed up uneasily. "Maybe you shouldn't have, Conrad! Maybe you shouldn't have! I don't care anymore, Kells! Julian, he's still out there, and I…I can't survive these Games, so why didn't you just kill me instead of your lovely partner and go kill the next guy, make a happy day for District 12? Tell me _that_, Squid. Tell me _that_."

Squid charged me. I screamed, falling onto the slanted ground, my dagger held out in front of me timidly. Screaming, Squid fell on me, punching my jaw half-heartedly, though it _hurt_. I was crying, tears fleeing from my eyes, as I choked on my own life about to leave me, from the person who had just saved it, and saved it many times over. I wailed in agony as Conrad pushed my head down into the ground. But it didn't hurt on the outside, it was my insides that were screaming from the pain being pushed on my heart.

Squid thrust his hand down, as if it was almost staged for some Capitol movie, and his palm entered the tip of my dagger, protruding out the other side, between two bones. He screamed in torment, lifting the dagger out of my hand with his punctured one, and pinned my shoulders to the ground, sagging his shoulders. He bowed his head, water streaming from his face, and only then I realized that he was bawling too.

"Because," Conrad choked on the words, tears flowing like a waterfall, shaking from the pain. "Because I love you, Ani."

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A berry. That's all it took for her to die.

All she wanted was food. Correction, all she wanted was to go home. _She_ was still alive, and she couldn't believe it, not one bit. And _her_ boy, he was alive too. But no matter how much she hated them, no matter how bad she wanted the two of them to suffer and for her to just go home, she couldn't bring herself to draw her lone knife. She's let Career Beast Boy take care of them, and then…she didn't know what she'd do. Poison him, probably. Die trying to kill him? Wait until some mutation or Capitol creation took her down in a frenzy of bloodlust? She needed food, though, she knew that much. _She_ had destroyed their food supply, but by doing that, _she_ had destroyed hers as well.

He was picking berries, the blond boy. He was still injured, and one way or the other she was getting food. He dropped a ton on a pack with some cheese among other glorious things on it, and as he exited from the clearing for more, she crept out into the grassy area.

Food, she thought, as drool almost oozed from her mouth. She grabbed a small handful of berries and a wee bit of cheese, then scampered back into the tall bushes, peeking through to spot when he came back. When the next round of berries came, and blond boy had left again, she would take more.

She popped a few berries into her mouth, but did not swallow, for _she_ came into the clearing. No. It was her food now, _she_ couldn't take it away! _She_ called for her boy, and after hyperventilated searches he appeared, to _her_ relief. She swallowed the berries in anger. She hadn't even gotten a proper handful!

Suddenly a burning sensation ravaged through her throat, spreading through her entire body. Gasping for air, she found that her throat had closed and would not accept life past any means of her lungs. So she was going to die like this. Poisoned, when she thinking of poisoning someone herself. It wasn't fair. Just so simply _not fair_. The best she could hope for was that _they_ would die from the poison berries too, for just another Career winning was better than the girl who took everything away from _her_ going home to _her_ nothingness.

Nothingness. That's what she was going into. A numb feeling of death. As her last bout of life, she put the cheese into her non-moving mouth. Delicious.

Bliss, she thought, as her body hurtled to the ground lifeless.

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**O-M-G. Told you. So _now_ you better see the connection between the Games and Ani's dreams, cause if you don't i havent been clear enough. Soo, press that button down there and drop by a review! Hope you like the story!**

**P.S. Soo, dracocrazy322, i totally just used your character...he's a full-blown main character, and i hope this isn't like WAY out of the mind set you had...even though it probably is...**

**Thanks and review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Short. This is what this is to me, this chapter! But please read it slowly, because it is so jammed-packed with stuff that urgghh it shall confuse you at the end! This is the end of the games, with a cliffie! But PLEASE review i will be so happy! I also have a new story, a series of oneshots up called Goodbye. Read and review that too! We have only about 2 chapters left. ooh! So I do ever hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN the Hunger Games. Read now.**

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12.**

We laid there for hours, the two of us. Most of the time I was trying to treat Conrad's hand, but all he would do was hiss and hold it away from me. He wasn't mad, but he wasn't exactly happy either.

Number one, when he had told me held loved me, I hadn't really said anything back. Quite the opposite. I laid there in absolute shock staring up at him for an estimation of ten minutes before Conrad kinda passed out from blood loss right on top of me. Number two, he passed out from blood loss, and he was hurting. Number three, there was an 'effing knife still stuck in his hand!

"I'm sorry," I uttered the words accidentally while thinking about the past few hours. We had no idea how to tell what time of day it was, we just held our breath to keep as little coal dust in our lungs as possible.

"You should go," he croaked for the hundreth time. "The dust is going to kill you."

And for the hundreth time I turned to him and shook my head, grasping his good hand. "No," I said. "I'm staying if you're staying."

"Will you die if I die?" Conrad asked, closing his eyes.

"Yes." I said. "But you're not going to die. You're going home."

"No," it was his turn to deny. "I'm not going home without you."

"You know that's not possible-"

"Then I guess I'll die," he replied.

"We could find a way to both go home," my turn for absurdness.

"Now Ani, you know that's not possible," he chuckled.

"Does your hand hurt?" I asked him.

"To hell," Conrad responded. "And back. There's a knife in it, you know."

I chortled now. This was tedious. "Do you want me to take it out?"

"No!" he sounded scared. "But…yes. If you make it not hurt." His voice was identical to a scared little kid.

"Alright," I softened, sitting up and helping him too. I grasped the butt of the knife ever so softly. "Ready?" I whispered.

"No…wait, agghh!" He screamed as I yanked out the knife from his hand with force, immediately pressing my already bloody shirt onto both sides. I then grabbed some gauze from my pocket and pressed it onto the wound. I looked from side to side to find something, but there was none, so I consented myself to rip the bottom of my own shirt and wrap it around the gauze, tying it at the top of his hand. Panting, Squid looked at me and smiled. I smiled back.

Suddenly, between the rasped breathing made by Squid and myself, there was a third breath. A third breath only meant one of three things. An animal, a mutt, or…

"Am I ruining a moment?" A chilly voice rasped in my ear. My breath came out ragged as I turned away from Squid and into the eyes of Julian Devereux.

I screamed as his dagger was thrust down, sticking into the ground where I had been not a second before. I was not there anymore, though. I had grabbed my crook and Squid and ran away, fearful for our lives. Julian growled as he pulled his knife out of the ground as chased after us.

"In love, are you?" He shouted mockingly. "Not for long! If I die, one of you is coming with me!" He laughed manically.

"Run, Squid!" I screamed as he started to lag, panting from blood loss. He shook his head in defiance. I choked on the coal dust, trying to see, breathe, and drag a 150 pound boy at top speed at the same time. Not an easy task when there's a homicidal killer chasing after you.

Suddenly Squid yanked his hand from mine, and I heard nothing. I looked around, seeing nothing but black, until a call of "Run!" was heard, and I took off.

I was in the forest now. I hit numerous trees trying to run, straining my ears trying to listen for the sound of a cannon, the sound of a fight, anything. But nothing entered my eardrums except for my own rapid heartbeat. I leaned against the tree, closing my eyes and breathing fast. I had no way of knowing if I was alone, or if Squid was dead. Tears began to leak out of my closed eyes, until something strong closed around my neck.

My hands automatically reached up to the clasp around my throat tightening as I was lifted off the ground, my previous wounds burning in relapsed pain. Julian cackled, bringing his handsome face right up to me, only one hand being used to lift my entire body off the ground my my neck. "Hello, lovely," he breathed his rancid breath into my face, his nose touching mine. "Having a ball with your boyfriend?"

I gurgled out a response, not making any words form as my throat closed. Julian smirked, leaning me up against the tree gently. "Well, I don't think he deserves you," he licked his lips. "You're too…talented. Clever. Pretty." He leaned in even closer, his cheek touching my turning bright red one as he nibbled at my ear, before saying. "Why don't we have a little fun before I kill you, Ani?"

I babbled out a choked restraint, but Julian pushed more forcefully, holding my face still as he kissed my cheekbone. I kicked and struggled, but he did not flinch. His sponsors had been generous, for he seemed to wearing some sort of armor. This was proven when I kicked him in the parts and even then Julian did not back down. He brushed his lips above my eyebrows, then brought them down to the side of my nose. I screamed and screamed, using whatever choked energy I had left, but Julian brought his face down so his mouth was parallel to mine, his eyes open and sharp against mine. I saw his other hand being released the side of my face but was replaced by his shoulders as his hand pulled his dagger out. "What a creative way to die," he chuckled, and he touched his lip to my chin. My tears had soaked his hair, but he didn't care.

He let go of my neck now, pinning me with his chest. He caressed my face, laughing. I stretched my neck, trying to get away, but it was impossible.

"Ani!" I heard a voice scream. It was Squid. Julian's force was knocked forcefully off of me, and I was pulled into the arms of Conrad. I cried, and Julian rose, shrieking in anger.

"Come here!" he howled, charging at us. I grabbed my crook off of the ground and swung it, the curved end hitting Julian in the face. He staggered, but came back just as quickly, catching it the second time with his hand. Julian broke the crook with his hand, leaving me with the pointed end. Julian jumped and punched Squid in the face, knocking his down. Just as he was about to pounce I kicked him in the stomach and sent him falling onto the ground as well. Squid jumped up and we ran again.

"You can't run forever!" Julian called out, chasing after us once more. We fell into a cluster of bushes, and Julian's footsteps stopped.

"Hey, 12!" his voice ran out. "Why did you stop me? I was having fun with your little girlfriend. And if I don't kill her, than you'll have to! Or she'll kill you! It doesn't matter! I could have done the job!"

"Don't, Squid," I rasped, standing up with him on my arm. We were met by even darker blackness. I screamed as I felt his lips on the back of my neck.

He embraced me in a death grip, pulling me away from Conrad. All of us were screaming, yelling, trying to kill one another. Finally I broke away and ran again, tripping and gasping from exhaustion, running on adrenaline alone.

I broke into the fields again, and saw that Squid was gone again, I was followed only by the monster. I tripped and fell into a hill, hitting my face. I whipped around, looking with difficulty at the boy standing thirty feet away. He smiled at me, and then charged.

That smile was still imprinted on his face when the mine blew.

Julian was thrown into the air, dead before his death screech lasted three seconds. My eyes widened in shock and disgust as his blood splattered onto my body, the burning heat from the spontaneous combustion still burning my eyes, which were dry of any fluid now. I spotted one of Julian's discarded, burning limbs and stared at it, wondering what the hell just happened, and if I was safe yet from the District 1 boy. Only when another explosion to close behind me for my liking blew did I stand up and move once more.

Explosions. Explosions everywhere. Before I knew it I was lost in a sea of explosions, jumping and crying as another detonated. I could barely see, the eruptions the only light in the horrible world. Tears started flowing (or did they ever stop?) and I kept running. It was the only thing I was good at, and probably the thing that would run me into my death by mines.

Suddenly he was there, shouting at the top of his lungs with his arms wrapped around me, but I could not hear him. He pulled me along, dodging more and even more explosions. I heard nothing except for the echoes. It was like I was on the end of a tunnel, watching it all happen. Not moments before everything had been silent, now everything was loud, violent, just loud. Squid tugged at me, bringing me not far from the dreaded Cornucopia. Combustions, all around. Squid shouted my name, and I looked up at him.

He looked down at me. Everything was in slow motion, like it was the end of everything. Conrad, he looked so kindly at me. I never looked so clearly, but yet so cloudy, at him. His brown hair was pitch black now, shining from the light behind him just like the very first day I met him in the torture machine, eh, elevator. His eyes twinkled at me, his deep brown eyes buried into mine. He pushed my hair out of my panicked face, calm as still water, smiling. And then he placed his hand on my cheek, bringing his head down…

And he kissed me. My eyes were still wide as I kissed him back, and just as fast as it had come Squid backed away, still smiling.

"Goodbye, Ani." I heard him say as he backed up. And then I saw him mouth, "I love you." My mouth opened in denial as he turned around, ripping my shirt strip from his hand.

Then he jumped into an explosion.

Everything snapped back to reality like I had been slapped. I could hear everything, even the cannon. My ears were no longer ringing. My heart instead had shattered.

"SQUID!" I bawled, running as the trumpet sounded. The explosions stopped. The air began to clear. And Squid's body laid on the ground, motionless.

"NO!" I cried, flinging myself onto his body, my hands reaching his neck, his face, anything. His eyes were closed, his fist still clamped onto something. I realized that it was my shirt shred.

The tears were dripping onto his shirt. I looked at his other hand, were there was a giant hole in his palm, and a metallic-looking thing on the ground near it. I buried my head in his non-moving chest, weeping. Claudius Templesmith went on with the congratulations. A hovercar lowered, and Rainer jumped out, grabbing my shoulders and growling at me to let the hell go. I shrieked at him and kept hanging on to Squid's corpse. I laid my head on his chest, over his heart, for one second before Rainer ripped me off of him and dragged me into the hovercar, where I still struggled and bawled until they jammed a needle into my arm and I collapsed on the floor. But I felt insane, because I had felt something. Heard something. It was psychological, I knew, but I had felt it, even if I had seen his corpse and heard his cannon. I had felt it.

A heartbeat.

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**:O Yep. that just happened. so click that little button down there please! THANKS!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yeah, I get it, the last one was confusing, but eh it had to happen in order to finish the plot of the story, the the sequel for whenever the heck I write it. Well there's only approximately 1 chapter left (woo-hoo!) and i wrote this really into the story, so that's why I've posted two regular sized chapters in the matter of a few days. And, for people who still do not understand after the chapter, I will explain down at the end of the chapter. Well...I'm kind of upset with the lack of reviews. One, and thank you, but...Please review because its almost to a close! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I guess I have to say I don't own President Snow now, along with everything ELSE i dont own, including the Hunger Games.**

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13.**

When I woke up, which was probably earlier than they anticipated, two huge Peacekeepers were dragging me backwards through a hallway, with my feet trailing on the ground. I blinked my eyes open to see Rainer talking with some other guy, arguing as always. He turned and saw me awake, and let out, "Shit."

I immediately started yelling. I wanted to kill Rainer, make him pay, make him die for taking me away from him. If there was one second longer out there, one second longer with Squid, I could have determined the very thing making me insane. He was dead. But he wasn't. I needed to know. And for taking that away from me Rainer had to pay.

The Peacekeepers were alarmed when I jumped out of their grasp, for dragging a hundred pound unconscious girl wasn't a hard job for two monstrous officers, so their grip wasn't exactly tight. I lunged at Rainer as I screamed, toppling the mentor over with force I never knew I had. Twice I had been choked in the arena. I had permanent red marks around my neck, and maybe I learned a thing or two. I wrapped both my shaking hands around Rainer's throat and squeezed with all my might. I was still screaming at him while he was trying to push me off of his chest. Then the Peacekeepers were there, pulling me off of him, though it took a couple tries, I was so determined. They carried me away, grabbing both my arms, unable to contain my swinging legs. As Rainer stood, holding his neck and looking at me, I screeched louder. I tried to tear myself from the Peacekeepers' grasp, and only stopped when, for the fourth time, Rainer yelled "SHUT UP!"

I silenced myself, but stood there looking at him with insanity in my eyes. My eyes were wild, my stance threatening, my back hunched over with my arms yanked back by the Peacekeepers. My hair was black, tangled, unruly and clumped in my face. I must have truly looked mad because Rainer whispered, "She's mentally unstable. Take her away."

I started laughing. Heaven knows why I did, but it must have been creepy, because Rainer backed away with the other guy. I cracked up, tossing my head up and back down again, finally looking again at Rainer. I didn't care about anyone else. I wanted him. I wanted him to die.

I turned eerily silent, and the two Peacekeepers looked at each other. Then I erupted with shrieks again, yelling some nonsense and some things that Rainer must have understood, for he just stared at me, most of his face filled with seriousness, some filled with fear. The Peacekeepers half dragged, half carried me away down the hall, and I never stopped screaming. I was literally thrown into a room with bare walls and one cot in the corner. I fell on the floor and curled up, throbbing and shaking with sobs. I stayed there for a very long time, although I had no way of knowing if it was night or day. I didn't touch the bed. I laid there rocking for hours.

I didn't notice when someone entered the room and sat down on the cot, watching me. About ten minutes later they hadn't left, and I arranged myself into a sitting position against the wall to see who it was.

"Ani?" she asked softly. My eyes were still wild, now red and puffy from the sobs. Maybe I was insane. Maybe I would be like this forever.

"Do you remember me?" She continued, squatting down off the bed, closer to me. I backed away, hitting the corner of the walls. She sighed, but crawled closer. "It's Monica, remember? I'm your mentor. Try to remember, sweetie."

I nodded quickly. I did remember. I remembered everything so clearly. I felt the same as I did before, but how was it that I wasn't acting the same? I was so afraid. I just wanted Squid back. I wanted to go home. I felt…I felt as if I still wasn't safe.

"All right, Ani," Monica soothed, coming closer. "You won. You won the Game, okay? Everything's going to be alright now. Understand?"

I bit my tongue and nodded again. She continued. "No need to be violent, you're safe now. No one can hurt you now, okay? You want to come here?" She was only a couple feet away from me now. "They're gone now. Dustin, Julian, Gucci, they're all gone now. It's safe."

It wasn't true. The Capitol was the threat now.

"Come here, Ani. Come here." I crawled up and into Monica's motherly arms, and she hugged me, soothing soft nothings to me. I raised my head and whispered in her ear, "Is he dead?"

Monica froze, unsure about what I had asked. "Who?" she asked, not moving.

"Him," I replied shakily. "Is he dead?"

"I don't know who you're talking about, Ani," she told me, trying to stay calm.

"_Him_," I insisted. "Squid. Is he dead?"

"Conrad Kells?" she answered with a question. "Yes, Ani. You're the winner."

"_No_," I cried. "Is he dead?"

"We saw him die for you," Monica tried to say.

"No!" I shook my head. "His heart…it was beating. I _heard_ it. Is…he…dead?"

She held me out in front of her. "I don't know," she muttered, unsure about everything now. "You loved him, didn't you?"

I nodded softly. "I think so." I whispered. "I don't know." I was slowly coming back to myself. "He loved me."

"So much that he gave his life for you, Ani," Monica informed me.

"Just like he promised me."

Monica helped me up, and we left the room, walking down the hall of the Training Center. As we walked, I regained myself, and asked, "Monica, what were the explosions? Every day, there was another district modeled. What were the explosions?"

"They let the secret out," she replied. "Of District 13."

"I thought that was destroyed," I wondered.

"It was. But they worked in nuclear technology. The arena introduced it again, when there will still three of you left."

"I would have liked it if it started over again," I chuckled. "I could have used another cupcake."

Monica laughed grimly. We reached my previous room, and my mentor told me to take a shower, and that she'd be back in a couple of hours for me. I nodded and entered the bathroom, stripping and entering the shower, turning it on hot, with the scent of lavender. It took more than an hour to clean every cut and all the dust from my body, and my skin felt pink and raw when I exited, wrapping a towel around my body. I sighed, still a bit in shock, before I left the bathroom into the bedroom.

I looked in the mirror right outside the bathroom, and saw that I still looked a mess. But then I turned around and screamed at the person sitting at the foot of my bed, looking like they had just woken up from death.

That's because he had.

I fell to the floor, backing up against the wall, clutching my towel against me. He jumped up with pain coursing through his body, surprised. "I-Ani! No, no, I'm sorry, no!"

I crawled back into the bathroom, slipping on a robe instead, numb all over, before peeking back out at the dead boy in my bedroom. He waved sarcastically, and I screamed again, certain I had truly gone insane.

"Ani, it's me!" he called. "Squid! Conrad!"

"No!" I cried. "He's dead, he's dead, he's dead, Conrad's dead!"

"Okay," he said gently, coming closer to my quivering body. "Then…Squid is alive. I'm alive, see?"

"NO!" I wailed, falling down on my butt, covering my ears with my palms. "You're dead!"

He crouched down beside me. "I'm not Ani," he insisted. "I can prove it." He grabbed my hand, but I snatched it back. He tried again, this time much gentler, and brought my fingers up to his neck, making me fell his pulse, though it was beating very slowly.

I peeked up at him, one hand still over my right ear. Then I started laughing, and threw myself into his arms.

He hugged me back, and I looked up at him. "You're dead," I said, all seriousness.

"I'm not dead, as far as I can tell," he placed his hand on his scarred face, smirking.

"I saw you die," I insisted.

"Oh yeah, Ani, I'm a ghost," he mocked me from days before.

I hugged him again, and he sat down on the bed, sitting me on his lap involuntarily. He bent down and pressed his nose into my damp hair, smelling the scent of lavender. "How?" I asked him. "You're cannon went off. But I felt the heartbeat…but you were dead."

He held up his hand, revealing a much more professional wrapping around his holey palm. "My tracker," he stated.

"What?" I asked him, still feeling him to see if he was really there, if I wasn't dreaming.

"When you stabbed me, the tracker showed in my palm. When the Games start, they inject a tracker into your hand, because your heartbeat can be easily detected there. When they don't detect a heartbeat anymore, such as when you die, your cannon goes off. I ripped it out when I dove into that explosion, and I nearly did die in the process."

"Why the hell did you do that?" I snapped.

"I couldn't deal with the fact that I would have to kill you, or if one of those explosions would. So I ended it. I guess they're going to move where they put the tracker now."

"So…you're alive," I said slowly.

"Yes," he replied. He leaned down to kiss me, but stopped. "But not for long."

"What do you mean?" I jumped up, landing on the other side of the bed terrified.

"The President wants my head," he whispered. "I wasn't supposed to live. Everyone saw me die. But I lived. So they're going to kill me. No one can know. I just begged to see you one more time."

"No," I ordered. "I won't let them. They can't…they can't take you away from me again."

"We don't have a choice, Ani," he told me. "I'm going to die today. But you're going home. It's what I wanted, what I promised."

"No!" I refused again, shaking my head. I felt the insanity creeping back. I tried to push it away. "No, Squid. No!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, four Peacekeepers burst into the room, and I yelled refusal, pushing Squid behind me. "You can't take him!" I shouted. "You can't take him from me!"

One of the Peacekeepers grabbed me, throwing me to the ground. Squid now screamed for me in anger, as he was grabbed by the others. Everyone was yelling, I being held down with my face pressed into the carpet. Squid tried to tear away to get to me. Suddenly another Officer entered the room, barking orders. The Peacekeepers couldn't get Squid out the door, and the Officer pushed the other Peacekeeper off of me before picking me up my the scruff of my robe, hooking his arm around me and holding his gun to my head. Squid snapped his head up in terror.

_He won't shoot me_, I told myself in panic. _I'm the victor. He won't shoot me_.

Everyone fell silent. Squid's eyes widened, his mouth open, held back by the Peacekeepers. The Officer pressed the gun to my head before speaking. It didn't hurt me in the slightest, he was holding me strong but gently, but I could see the agony in Squid's eyes.

"You want to live so bad, boy?" he barked at Squid. "Fine. I'll shoot her, right here, right now."

I looked at Squid with intensity in my eyes. He saved me once, it was my turn to save him. I opened my mouth, and uttered the word, "Live."

Squid looked at me, to the Officer, then back to me.

"It doesn't matter who it is, but there's only one victor," the Officer continued. "You want to be it? Then I'll kill her. You or her. Pick."

"You wouldn't," Squid's voice cracked. "You wouldn't."

Suddenly the gun fired, and I flinched with terror, but it was pointed at the wall, where a burning hole was now. "It's loaded," the Officer spat, bringing the hot gun to my head again. "I would."

Squid slumped down, shaking is head. The Officer dropped me onto the ground, and I ran after them as they dragged Squid away from me, for he had given his life away again. I wasn't about to let that happen. "No!" I screamed, running down the hall. "You can't! Bring him back! Bring him back please! Please!" I hit the wall, falling down. I wasn't crying. He had been dead before, but then I got him back. Now he was dead again.

"You can't do this!" I cried. I was sick of all this. All the screaming, all the crying. I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and marched down the hall, kicking open Rainer's door. Hell, I've always wanted to kick a door open.

"You okay now, chick?" he asked me as I stormed in. "No more insanity?"

"Take me to the President." I hissed. "Take me to him now."

"Whoa, chickie, you can't just go barging in-"

"Take me…" I looked him straight in the eye, grabbing his shirt. "To…the President."

An hour later I was standing outside his office. Victory. Score 1 for Ani, 0 for Rainer. But it wasn't complete. Not yet.

"Anitalla Razar," the young President sneered when I pushed open the door and sat down. "Our _victor_."

"Good evening, President Snow," I greeted him. He had only been inaugurated a mere two years ago, after the older President had died of 'natural causes'. I doubted that severely, now, seeing the line of vials stacked across the wall behind Snow. The new President was barely forty, but had the wisdom of an old man and the evilness of a spoiled child. I decided, even though I had myself under control, if he thought I was a bit off my rocker this would work better. "It _is_ evening, isn't it, Mr. Snow? I have trouble…I need to talk to you."

He looked at me weirdly, and then regained his wits. "Of course, Miss Razar. What about? You have your interview tonight."

"Why do you want him dead?" I asked him abruptly.

"Whatever do you mean?" he smirked at me. I hated it. I almost freaked out on him.

"Conrad." I spat. "Why do you want to kill him?"

"Because he died. He was supposed to die." He spoke with venom.

"Please," I pleaded. "Let him live. Do what you want with me, with us, but please let him live. He doesn't deserve to die after he gave everything up for me."

"He showed signs of rebellion!" President Snow stood, pacing back and forth, steaming with anger and annoyance. "Maybe your little Conrad does love you, little girl, but what you say here is futile to saving him! He plotted against our Capitol, figured out the tracking system, and used it so both of you could get out of our arena! Rebellion, that's what it is, Miss Razar! And that cannot be left unpunished! The world thinks that he is dead, and so that is what he shall be!"

"But what…" I started. "What if the world did think he was dead…but he wasn't? He could come to District 5, or go back home, and the Capitol doesn't need to know!"

President Snow placed his hands on the desk, leaning toward me, evil in his eyes. "Be warned, Anitalla," he hissed. "If he lives, then you two will owe me a _lot_. I can do whatever I want to you. You will do whatever I say, when I say it."

I narrowed my eyes to slits. "You have my word, Mr. President," I spat.

"Good." He pressed a button on his desk, his eyes not leaving mine. "Let the boy live. We'll deal with them later. That I promise."

I knew he was talking to me, but a reply came from the speaker next to the button the President had pressed. "Yes sir, Mr. President. We will not kill the boy."

"And Mr. Kaine?" President Snow droned. "Tell Mr. Kells that his little girl has saved him…this time. But," he looked at me again. "She won't be there…next time."

I stared at him, appalled by the open threat. I heard a voice come from the speaker, this time a young, strained one. It was Conrad. "Ani? Ani, don't do this! He means it, Ani no!"

"I'm doing us a favor, Squid." I said grimly. "You're safe now."

"Ani!" he screamed at me through the speaker. "No, don't! You don't know what he's capable of! You don't know what he'll do-"

The President lifted his finger off of the button, cutting off Squid's voice. He glared at me. "You're friend is lucky. If you weren't here today, Miss Razar, I'd make him suffer. I hope you'll remember I'll little arrangement. It will happen when I'm angry. You do not want to see me angry. Now get out of my sight. I expect you to out of my Capitol by tomorrow."

"Yes…sir." I replied, and left the room, my brain clouded with anger, frustration, and paranoia. I had saved Conrad. I had saved him. But his words rang in my head as I entered my room once more. It was true. I had made a deal with the devil.

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**So here it is: Squid, wanting Ani to survive the Games, took his tracker and jumped into the explosion to rip it out without the camera seeing, and intended to die. But he didn't, but the Games had ended, and since his tracker, which detected no heartbeat, set off the cannon. The whole world thought he was dead, so President Snow was going to execute him to make it so. BUT Ani made a deal with Snow (spoiler alert for the sequel) and so Squid lives secretly, i guess, except to District 12. he is not a victor. There. Sigh. OK, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**And also, to end this A/N which is probably annoying, I will soon after the end of this story be posting a Post CF Peeta story, so check that out when it comes! thanks!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here it is. The end. *sniffle* Oh my God. OK, so YES there WILL be a sequel, just not...for a while. But very soon I will be posting the first chapter of my Peeta Fic! (yayy) so it would be highly and prestigiously awesome is you reviewed that. Did that even make sense? Oh well, i'm too excited about the text below. So...review! this is the last installment of the Pied Piper! Thanks soooo much to the people who have followed this since the beginning, you know who you are. So, for the last time in this fanfic, ENJOY!**

**DISCLAIMER: Nothing was owned by me in the making of this story. Not even Anitalla's name. It's someone elses. I think. Yeah. I don't own.**

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14.**

Walking. Walking in my aqua dress that flows to my knees, clipping in my heels, stepping onto the plate that will bring me up to the place I do not want to be.

Hugging. Hugging Monica, who whispers me my luck and disappears, leaving the tech crew, whom all look at me like I've committed the worst crime imaginable by surviving, and the Peacekeepers, their faces hollow and emotionless. Well, that's why they're the best.

Looking. Looking at him, arms grasped lightly at the biceps, his features sunken and gaunt, staring at me as if I am walking to the gallows proud to be dying. Like he's one to talk. I gave him that look. That didn't stop him.

Breathing. Just trying to breathe as I hear the applause for Taban, for Monica. Just trying to get my head together as I hear the announcements for me. Anitalla Razar. The girl who won on luck and love she couldn't bear to devote back to him. Conrad Kells. The boy who died, at least in the Capitol's eyes.

Closing. Closing my eyes as the plate begins to move, the ceiling opens above me. Snapping them open as my face emerges in lights. Pictures. Videos. Capturing the moment. Capturing me.

The one thing I can only think about as Caesar Flickerman greets me is that Giles must actually be happy that Squid is dead.

"Ani!" he greets me. The noise is horrible. Caesar takes my hand graciously and I giggle, sounding way to forced. I place myself in the victor's red plush seat, crossing my legs. Taban had been clever, putting no down feathers in my hair this time. No, only one sharp flight feather nested atop my head, breaking out black against the blue of my outfit.

"It's so nice to see you, congratulations!" Caesar laughed, seating himself in his own chair.

"Thank you." I choked, though it sounded normal. "Likewise."

"Now let's get started, shall we?" he grabbed a remote from the armrest. "You've had an interesting Games." He clicked one of the buttons, and the lights dimmed, the screen showing the national emblem. The emblem I've come to hate.

From the get-go, after all the pre-game activities, they show the bloodbath. Mostly the three-hour video is about me, me, me. My struggle. My many attachments. And of course, Dustin. After a while when the bloodbath begins, I want to tear my eyes from the screen.

I run swiftly, grabbing my packs, my crook, and I swing around, watching Vivienne Cameron kill Boro my sticking her sword through his chest. Killing who I now knew out of the many she killed was Flicka. It was scary seeing Dustin and his homicidal glare as he tackled me, and we fought. It broke afterwards to my almost-encounter with Dustin and Rico, and then to Gucci. At the same time they were showing where Pamola traveled, through the grove, the brush, the hills. How Cecil had burrowed into the Cornucopia unnoticed. How Conrad had crashed through the forest, actually reaching a small cliff side that dropped to even more forest.

They show how Pablo killed Gucci, how Dustin killed Pablo. My fight with Layla. Pamola carrying me across the Arena. Finding my sponsor gift. Cecil's death. At this the tears started to leak out, for him and because I knew what was about to happen next. Vivie killing Pamola with her ghost of a smile. Squid's and my encounter.

And of course, in slow motion, Dustin's death and my carrying Squid out of the ravine.

I couldn't bear anything anymore when Squid killed Lyss, as the camera showed Julian sneaking up on us. Then it came too fast. His explosion. It ended as he kissed me, and he broke apart, the explosion capturing him, and me pulling at his 'corpse'.

The crowd burst into rambunctious applause, and I smiled weakly, glancing as President Snow entered the stage, which only sparked more insane celebration by the Capitol. He smiled as he carried a crown on a green velvet pillow toward me. He placed the crown on my head, and I looked up at him. His smile was forced, and in his eyes he had a look that I could read perfectly. _I have every power over you_.

I gulped as he retreated, and I stood with Caesar, bearing the applause for suffering. I curtsied in my dress, waved half-heartedly, and stepped onto the plate again, lowering my body as the cameras signed off.

As Snow ordered Rainer and Monica to ship me and Squid out the following morning, I had to immediately go to my interview instead of doing it in the morning, so I rushed to have Taban dress me in a gold strapless dress and a headband of brown feathers. The string tightened at the roots of my hair, and kept my hair tame as the five golden brown flight feathers laid against the back of my head. Caesar called to me for the interview, and I ran, stopping before I reached another room with warm burgundy chairs, Caesar sitting in one and motioning for me to come. I sat down, and saw Squid standing behind the cameramen, arms crossed but with worried eyes. I didn't know why he was so worried, we would be going home tonight! I was just about to call out to him when Caesar motioned for the cameras to start, and we were on air.

"Hello again, Ani," Caesar laughed, turning to me. My eyes were still on Squid, and I tore them away to lock my mind on what was happening _now_.

"Yes, Caesar," I started. "I haven't seen you in a while, have I?" I bit my tongue, trying to ignore the look I was getting from Conrad.

Caesar burst out laughing, and I smiled. He regained himself, and started the actual interview. Good. I was sick of acting happy.

"Are you excited to go home, Ani?" he asked me, leaning forward. I took a deep breath. Yes. I could see the meadows, the pens, the rams fighting, the horses running, my house with Giles's right across the street, the fence, the hen house, the cobble streets, the Justice Buildings, shops, Reel, Hub, even the Cleaners in the Sweep so vividly. I could see everything carrying on as normal, maybe even me and Giles becoming best friends again after everything he's seen on his family's television. That maybe I could forget everything and end up learning how to swim by Giles, make him be able to stomach killing chickens, holding hands with him by the pond, hugging him. And I knew I would regret it. "You have no idea, Caesar," I stated hollowly. He smiled pitifully, and continued.

"Well, I bet your lucky man will be happy to see you," he said. "Your father, and Giles, is it?"

I felt like a Peacekeeper had shot me through my brain. I knew that this topic would undoubtedly come up, that Giles would be the main subject in this stupid interview. I just hadn't prepared myself. "Yes," I grinded my teeth. I hoped it wasn't noticeable. "I can't wait to see my family again. I've survived the Hunger Games, but now, I think all I have to do is make sure everyone doesn't have to leave me. I want to hold them all and never let them go."

Everyone was so touched by the sincerity of my statement that they didn't realize that I had totally jibed the Capitol and the Hunger Games by accident. I bit my tongue again, hoping that I was the only one who knew the real meaning of my words.

"Now, you became a bit attached during you Games, what do you have to say about that? Only a few more, Ani, we're running out of time."

Were we? Man, time flies when you hate everything. "What I did during the Games, Caesar, is something I suggest every single person in the future Hunger Games to never, ever, do. I made a friend in Pamola Dirnt, who gave herself up like she knew she's have to do. I felt sympathy for Cecil Yung, who I believe did not have enough time to appreciate everything. And I became…attached to Conrad Kells, who I lost when he was caught in an explosion. But I do not regret a moment of it. Attachment in the Games, I know now, leads to pain, pain I do not want to possess. But I came out victorious, and in the end, isn't that all that matters?" God, I was a horrible liar. But I had saved my sorry butt from another tongue lashing. Friends were not things tributes became. Victory was what was supposed to matter.

"Thank you, Anitalla." Caesar applauded. "I hope you get to see your family again soon." And with that he signed off, gave me a hug, and walked off from the interview room. I sighed and slumped down in the chair to wait for Squid to come over to me.

"Attached to me, were you?" He let out a forced laugh. I smirked, but like everything, it was short-lived and stressed.

"We have to go soon," he informed me. I just sat there. I still couldn't believe everything, anything. My mind clocked out a bit. "Ani?" he asked me again. I blinked, not listening. He knew about it, how I had lost it earlier. He reached down and put his hand on my shoulder, then sighed, lifting me up into a hug. I snapped back into attention. "Sorry," I murmured. "Spaced out."

"It's okay," he whispered. "You're going to go home now. Come on, let's get you to the train. You'll be home by morning."

"What about you?" I asked as he retreated to holding my hand and we started walking. "Are you going to go home?"

"Yeah, I think I am," he muttered. "Don't see how it's going to work, the whole 'me being dead' thing. Maybe I'll just come and stay in District Five for a while. It'll be better for everyone, eh?" he chuckled, and my eyes brightened, but no other emotion slipped my person.

We didn't take the elevator up the one flight to go outside to board the train. We walked up the stairs, step by step, not talking. We stopped before exiting the building. I took a deep breath.

"You look really pretty, Ani," Squid smiled. I looked down. "Thanks," I replied. "I owe you. A lot."

"No you don't," he insisted. "I saved your life, you saved mine. I'd say we're just about even."

I shook my head, and we walked out as soon as we were surrounded by Rainer, Monica, and Lucy Finelar. "You know what?" Squid asked me, bending his head down, the hood of his sweatshirt covering his face.

"What?" I replied with a question, jogging toward the train station with everyone else, Peacekeepers surrounding us the whole way. We stepped onto the luxurious train, and I could only be reminded of my time with Dustin on the horrible thing.

"I don't think Ani suits you," Squid smirked. "I like…Talla. More rebellious, don't you think?"

I laughed. "I don't think so. I like my o-so-innocent name, thanks."

"I don't know," Squid let go of my hand, back up away from me toward the chambers. "I don't think you're so innocent anymore."

We departed for our chambers. I had one more night in a Capitol bed before I got to sleep in my normal bed. But even then, that was for the last time. The day after I returned me and my dad would be moving to the Victors' Village. It wasn't something I was happy about, it would mean selling our house out. But it would go to the next lucky family in the Sweep to be promoted. Their kids would take over my house, my job. I wasn't happy about that, either. I wondered if people in my District would hate me, because I killed Dustin. Granted, he had tried valiantly to kill me, so that would be my telling point. I dressed in the comfiest nightgown the drawers could provide me, and slipped into the large bed. Goose down comfitures, ten large, plush pillows, soft silk sheets. Another thing I had a love-hate relationship with from the Capitol. My mind was too cluttered with thoughts of home, Squid, Dustin, Pamola, the Games, Giles, my dad, everything, that I couldn't get to sleep. I ordered a hot chocolate, the one thing I decided that I absolutely loved with no hate from the Capitol, and I drowned it before getting into bed again. This time it was easier, with a warm feeling in my body. I fell into unconsciousness, trying to empty my mind of all thoughts for once, just for one night.

The next morning I stuffed my face with the delicious food before me, just to cover the fact that I was slipping donuts and muffins in my pocket for Giles. Squid, I could tell, was doing something similar, though he had one other meal on the train to hoard food for the people in his District he loved. I wondered about his brother. I mean, did he know that Conrad wasn't really dead? That he was slipping bacon and sausage into his bag for him? That even though Squid had survived the Games, that they would still have to fight for food? Was that why Squid was hoarding food? Did he not know when he would see mounds of cheese buns and cream puffs again? Probably never. Maybe it would be a good thing if he came and stayed with me in District Five. Maybe his family could come with him. I wonder if he had any other siblings. Did he know if I had siblings? He must know that, since I had never mentioned my non-existent little sister in the interviews, while he had told Caesar about his brother in his.

I dressed in pants and a sweatshirt, the pants black and the sweatshirt blue, just like I was at home again. Because that was what was going to happen. I was going home again. It still hadn't stuck in my mind.

The train began to slow. I gathered my possessions, though I had barely any, and stood with the mob of people to get out. Squid stood with me. He was seeing me out, and then was going on to District 12. I was concerned, though, because the thought slipped to my mind that they would kill him. I shook that quickly. He had promised.

Squid promised me he would write, and I returned the oath, already planning my thoughts, telling him about life as Ani. Or Talla. Anitalla.

The doors opened, and I let go of Squid's grasp on my hand, barely noticing him fingering something in his right. He walked slowly behind me through the Justice Building, keeping his head low behind the Peacekeepers. I wished he could show his face, could come out and be proud as a victor, to never worry about hunger again. My District would be getting parties and food galore for a year. District Twelve's reward? Squat.

"District 5," I heard the mayor's voice, Mayor Vancer, announce. "Please welcome back your victor of the 37TH Hunger Games, ANITALLA RAZAR!"

The applause was deafening. I stepped out with Monica, everyone cheering and welcoming me home (maybe except for Dustin's family). My gigantic smile was real this time, beaming and bursting at the seams with happiness. Everything was exactly the same. I could resume with my life. The Hunger Games would never touch me again.

"ANI!"

My tears started streaming when I saw Giles, Dume, and my dad in the middle of the crowd. My dad looked like he had won all the money in Panem for forever, happy just to have his little girl back home again. His beard had been shaved, but he looked a bit misshapen, probably from the paranoia every family had each year. But it had happened. I had come home.

Giles wasn't a kid anymore. I know, stupid thing to say after two weeks away from him, but he had changed. The Hunger Games had touched his life. The Pied Piper had led me away from him, only for me to find my way back. I embraced him tightly as they all jumped onto the stage, crying into his slightly taller shoulder. My dad grabbed me in a bear hug, shaking me back and forth. Dume joined in, looking down at me with kind, welcoming eyes. I kept crying. I had made it.

Everyone started screaming with joy as three hovercars zoomed over the clearing, dropping packages of the finest delicacies into people's arms. Sugar, cupcakes, molasses, oranges, chocolate, strawberries, cookies. I laughed with delights, dancing around. I caught a box of chocolate scones in my hands, and flung them toward Giles, who received them happily. He hugged me again, and had to shout into my ear,

"I missed you so much, Ani."

I placed my head in his neck, ecstatic to have my best friend with me again. I was sure the feeling was mutual.

"Me too."

Dume and Giles lifted me up onto their shoulders, and led me away from the stage, down the cobble streets toward the Hub. Everyone was screaming with happiness for themselves and for me. Whether they be from the Reel, the Sweep, or my neighbors, fellow ram herders, they were cheering for the joyous time to follow my victory. District 5 would be pleasant again, at least until another two were pulled into the sadistic Games again.

The only thing I didn't see, the only thing I didn't remember to look back to, was Squid. Silently, he emerged onto the stage, no one looking at some person when there was celebrating to do. He placed a letter and a lone rose on the podium beside Monica, and with one last glance he turned and boarded the train once more, only turning away when both doors slammed shut.

_**FIN.

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**Duh duh duh duh! FINISHED! My first super-long fic finished! yess. **

**THE PIED PIPER is the name of this story modeling very vaguely of of the classic tale of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, in which the piper of the story led many of the children away, never to return. This is the model of President Snow and the Hunger Games, sparing Ani and Conrad for his payment. **

**Thank you so much, and i hoped you enjoyed the story. Please review!**


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